HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Employment Agencies

David Taylor: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many House of Commons staff have been recruited through employment agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The House of Commons does not fill any of its permanent vacancies with agency employed staff. Staff employed by agencies are used to cover temporary or interim vacancies. In 2008-09 expenditure on temporary agency staff equated to just over 4 per cent. of overall staffing costs.

Members: Allowances

Julian Lewis: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the information on hon. Members' expenses which has been leaked was obtained by the unauthorised  (a) electronic and  (b) physical copying of material.

Nick Harvey: The matter is subject to an internal inquiry. I will write to the hon. Member when it has reached conclusions.

Members: Allowances

Simon Hughes: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission when the Commission expects publication by the House of information relating to hon. Members' allowances between 2004 and 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Preparation for publication of Members' allowances claims and supporting documentation from April 2004 until March 2008 is nearing completion. Final checks are being carried out, and any appeals by Members about the precise scope of what is included in the publication scheme are due to be heard and determined by the Committee on Members' Allowances during the course of next week. Subject to testing the public internet access arrangements, publication will follow as soon as possible after that.

TRANSPORT

Network Rail: Directors

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to appoint a special director for Network Rail.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has no plans to appoint a special director to the board of Network Rail.

Transport: Finance

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much each English shire county has received in transport grant in each of the last five years.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport's website contains details relating to the allocation of capital transport grant to local transport authorities including the shire counties at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/capital/
	This funding is not ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities.
	Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government's formula grant.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Legislation

David Evennett: To ask the Leader of the House what arrangements she plans to make for consultation on the Government's draft legislative programme for the 2009-10 Session; and if she will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend, the Leader of the House of Commons, will make an announcement shortly.

Members and Peers: Expenses

John Mann: To ask the Leader of the House if she will discuss with the Leader of the House of Lords the establishment of a Joint Committee to consider co-ordinated publication on the parliamentary intranet and website of details of the expenses of individual hon. Members and Peers.

Chris Bryant: The Government will bring forward legislation to establish a new, independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to oversee the expenses regimes of both Houses. It will be open to the new Authority to co-ordinate the publication of information about the expenses of Members of both Houses.

Written Questions

David Amess: To ask the Leader of the House what steps she is taking to ensure the completeness of answers to Parliamentary Questions for written answer.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. and learned Friend the Leader of the House of Commons and I are fully committed to making sure that Ministers give faithful, honest, complete and timely answers to written parliamentary questions. We keep the matter under continuous review.

TREASURY

Banks: Iceland

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1083W, on bank services, for what reasons people with funds held in Icelandic banks were not alerted to the circumstances which prompted the Financial Services Authority to intensify its supervision of retail deposit-taking by Icelandic banks at the beginning of

Ian Pearson: The authorities acted responsibly throughout and, for very good reasons, have a policy of not commenting publicly on individual institutions. In line with usual practice, the authorities did not make people aware of these circumstances. To have done so in the case of the Icelandic banks could have caused precisely the consequences that the authorities were seeking to avoid.

Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the likely effects on levels of  (a) carbon dioxide emissions and  (b) revenue which would accrue to the Exchequer arising from a change in rates of motorcycle vehicle excise duty to the same carbon dioxide emission scales as private cars;
	(2)  what recent consideration he has given to the merits of setting vehicle excise duty bands for motorcycles on the same carbon dioxide emissions scale as that applying to private cars.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available.
	Carbon dioxide based vehicle excise duty for cars rests on data produced through the European-wide system of vehicle type approval. This system does not produce carbon dioxide data for motorcycles. Vehicle excise duty for motorcycles is instead set on an engine capacity basis.

Revenue and Customs

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs offices were open to receive post on Saturday 31 January 2009.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs Enquiry Centres were closed on Saturday 31 January 2009. Post found and opened on Monday 2 February 2009 was treated as received on Friday 30 January 2009.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Climate Change

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the first meeting of the Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change to take place.

Jane Kennedy: The Government and the devolved Administrations recently announced the appointment of Lord John Krebs as the Chair of the Adaptation Sub-Committee to the Committee on Climate Change. As the Chair of the Sub-Committee, Lord Krebs will also sit on the main committee. The UK Government and the devolved Administrations are in the process of appointing five to eight board members to serve on the sub-committee. We hope to have the sub-committee in place by the end of June and the first meeting should take place as soon as possible after that.

Deer

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice his Department has issued to local authorities on the control of wild deer.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA has not issued any advice on deer specifically for local authorities. For those involved in deer management, advice on the sustainable management of deer is available from the Deer Initiative. Some local authorities will have received advice from the Deer Initiative on local deer management issues relevant to their area.

Food Supply

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial and other support his Department has made available to encourage the development of local food hubs; how many such food hubs are in existence; and at which locations.

Jane Kennedy: I recognise the benefits of well run local food hubs in helping to make it easier for local food producers to access markets, including public sector customers. Under the Regional Food Strategy both DEFRA and the regional development agencies have provided support for a number of initiatives, including food hubs, aimed at facilitating access to market for local food producers.
	Funding to encourage the development of local food hubs in England has come from a number of sources:
	The additional £5 million over five years (2003-04 to 2007-08) which DEFRA made available to Food from Britain (FFB) to support the quality regional food sector;
	The regional development agencies' (RDA) single pot funding;
	The Rural Development Programme; and
	The private sector.
	Examples of food hub-related activities which have received public funding include:
	Under the previous England Rural Development Programme a 50 per cent. Rural Enterprise Scheme grant of £228,500 which helped fund the conversion of existing traditional buildings into Plumgarths Farm Shop and Lakelands Food Park in Cumbria;
	The Ludlow Food Centre which has received funding (£159,000) from the West Midlands RDA; and
	A study being funded by the South East of England, East of England and London RDAs examining the feasibility of using food hubs to serve London with local and regional produce.
	In addition to the above, other examples of food hub facilities can be found in Bedfordshire (Woburn Country Foods), Essex (Ashlyns Organics); Shropshire (Weston Park); Nottinghamshire (Southglade Food Park) and Cumbria (Redhills near Penrith). In the south-west, the development of food distribution hubs is being driven by local demand through the supermarkets and food manufacturers without the need for public sector intervention.
	Finally, DEFRA has also helped fund, via FFB, the research by Westley Consulting Ltd. and John Geldard (Plumgarths Farm) which led to the 'Supplying Local Food to Mainstream Customers' report published in August 2008. A copy of this report, which recognised the role that well run food hubs could play but was cautious about recommending public investment in establishing more hubs, can be found at the Westley Consulting website.

Members: Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Minister of State plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for West Derbyshire of 30 March 2009 on the dumping of industrial waste in Roston.

Jane Kennedy: I have now responded to the right hon. Member's letter.

Members: Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for West Derbyshire of 4 March 2009 on charges on compost.

Jane Kennedy: I responded to the right hon. Member's letter on 3 June.

Renewable Energy: Waste

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether his Department has received any representations on whether the reference to fuels manufactured from waste in the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 Schedule 1, Part 2, Section 1.1 reflects the Court of Appeal ruling in the OSS Group v. Environment Agency case; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether his Department has received any representations on whether the reference to fuels manufactured from waste in the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 Schedule 1, Part 2, Section 1.1 means that used cooling oil should be treated as a virgin oil if it has met the Carnwath test as set by the Environment Agency.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA officials have received correspondence from representatives of companies whose business involves the processing of waste to produce fuels about issues arising from the Court of Appeal ruling in the case of OSS Group  v. Environment Agency. Officials at the Environment Agency have also held meetings with the companies concerned to discuss these issues. The Government's response to the amendment of the Environmental Permitting (England Wales) Regulations 2007 in the light of the Court's decision is still being considered.

JUSTICE

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials in his Department have been suspended from duty in each month since January 2007.

Jack Straw: In the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), excluding the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), central records of suspension exist from April 2007 only.
	The information for MoJ excluding NOMS is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of suspensions 
			  2007  
			 April 6 
			 May 2 
			 June 4 
			 July 5 
			 August 4 
			 September 5 
			 October 5 
			 November 0 
			 December 5 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 5 
			 February 2 
			 March 18 
			 April 1 
			 May 3 
			 June 5 
			 July 3 
			 August 0 
			 September 3 
			 October 0 
			 November 1 
			 December 0 
			   
			  2009  
			 January 3 
			 February 2 
			 March 0 
		
	
	These figures represent the number of new suspensions in each month; there is no cumulative element to the totals.
	The National Offender Management Service does not hold the requested information centrally, and to obtain the information now would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the names and addresses were of each organisation that supplied goods and services to his Department in 2008-09, based on the purchase order data held in the Department's financial database.

Jack Straw: The information requested will be placed in the Libraries of the House. The data provided have been sourced from two Enterprise Resource Planning Systems, one from the system covering the Courts, Tribunals, Former Department for Constitutional Affairs, and the other from the National Offender Management Service System. It is a complete list of suppliers against whom a purchase order was raised in the 2008-09 financial year across each system.

Monarchy: Succession

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice to which Commonwealth governments the Government have indicated a wish to discuss reform of male-preference primogeniture for the line of succession for the Crown; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Any changes to the rules of succession would have to be agreed to by all Commonwealth countries of which the Queen is head of state. Discussions have started and are continuing but it would be inappropriate to release details at this stage.

Restorative Justice

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the rate of reoffending among those who have completed high-visibility community payback schemes.

David Hanson: Reoffending rates for those who have completed high-visibility community payback schemes are unavailable as the data source used to produce reoffending rates does not differentiate between those on the scheme, and those who are not.
	Reoffending rates are available for those who serve both community and suspended sentence orders with an unpaid work requirement; however the latest available data are for those who commenced such a sentence between 1 January and 31 March 2007. The high-visibility community payback scheme did not commence until December 2008, therefore reoffending rates for the period covered by the scheme will not be available until data for the 2009 cohort are published in 2011.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Brass Bands: Finance

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Big Lottery Fund awarded to brass bands in each of the last five years.

Barbara Follett: The Big Lottery Fund has been able to supply the following figures for the value of relevant grants across the UK in the last five years, including grants made under the Awards for All joint scheme:
	
		
			   Total value of grants (£) 
			 2004-05 81,314 
			 2005-06 151,542 
			 2006-07 176,572 
			 2007-08 109,663 
			 2008-09 281,721

Football: Drugs

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the National Anti-Doping Organisation expects the governing authorities for football to have introduced anti-doping procedures compliant with its requirements; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 1 June 2009
	 UK Sport, the UK's National Anti-doping Organisation, is currently working with the Football Association (FA) to ensure that their anti-doping rules and procedures are compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code (WADA) and accompanying international standards.
	We understand that the FA Council will be considering this when it meets over the summer to agree their rules for the 2009-10 season. Government expect the FA to ensure that their anti-doping rules and procedures are fully compliant with WADA's code and standards.

National Anti-Doping Organisation

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of progress towards a fully independent National Anti-Doping Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 1 June 2009
	 I met recently with UK Sport, who are leading on the project to establish the new stand alone National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO), UK Anti-Doping.
	At this meeting, UK Sport reported that work to establish UK Anti-Doping is progressing well, with the project on-schedule to meet vesting, as proposed, by the end of the year.

National Anti-Doping Organisation: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what budget has been allocated to the National Anti-Doping Organisation in each year to 2012.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 1 June 2009
	 For 2009-10, the budget for the National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO), currently delivered by UK Sport, is approximately £7 million, including £1.8 million that has been budgeted for transition costs toward the establishment of the new stand alone NADO, named UK Anti-Doping.
	The budget for 2010-11, the first full year of operation for UK Anti-Doping, is approximately £7.2 million.
	Funding for subsequent years will be finalised in light of the Department's forthcoming comprehensive spending review settlement.

Sports: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the £36 million allocated to the Sport Unlimited scheme has been spent; and how many of the 4,000 planned taster sessions have taken place.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England has advised that in the first year of the three year Sport Unlimited scheme, £10,487,000 has been spent from the year 1 funding allocation of £10,500,000.
	The Sport Unlimited scheme will enable 900,000 more 11 to 19-year-olds to become involved in a range of sports. Sport England will publish end of year results on year 1 of Sport Unlimited later on this month, which will include information about the number of individuals participating in the scheme against year 1 targets. Sport England has undertaken to write to the hon. Member with a copy of their report.
	The number of taster sessions that have taken place is not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Aung San Suu Kyi

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Japanese counterpart on the arrest and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Bill Rammell: The Japanese Government released a statement on 15 May 2009 expressing their deep concern at the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi. The Japanese Foreign Minister, Hirofumi Nakasone, raised Aung San Suu Kyi's detention with his Burmese counterpart on 25 May 2009. We have raised her current trial and ongoing detention with the Japanese at official level. Japan, like the UK, is a major contributor of humanitarian aid to Burma and we remain in regular contact concerning the current situation both at the UN Security Council and via the UN Secretary-General's Group of Friends of Burma.
	Most recently, I spoke with the Japanese Foreign Minister on 25 May 2009 in Vietnam. I also discussed Aung San Suu Kyi's arrest and the situation in Burma with Asian and European Ministers at the Asia-Europe Meeting in Hanoi on 25-26 May 2009 and at the EU-ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh on 27-28 May 2009.

Employment Conditions Abroad

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has paid Employment Conditions Abroad in each year since the inception of the contract; and what the future monetary value of any outstanding contracts is.

Gillian Merron: We do not hold figures for spending on this contract before 2004. To recalculate them would incur disproportionate cost. The cost of the contract to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office each year since then has been:
	
		
			   Cost (£) 
			 2004 72,632.61 
			 2005 76,750.99 
			 2006 78,472.37 
			 2007 83,425.00 
			 2008 89,299.87 
		
	
	Our contract with Employment Conditions Abroad is ongoing. We anticipate the cost of the contract and their services to be approximately £84,525 in 2009. Prices have been frozen at 2008's rates.

Occupied Territories: Housing

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the expansion of settlements in the West Bank; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Settlement expansion is a major obstacle to peace. We receive regular reports, including from the Israeli non-governmental organisation Peace Now. During 2008, Peace Now reported that the West Bank settler population increased 15,000 to 285,000. They report that there are plans for at least 73,300 additional housing units in the West Bank.
	We are also deeply concerned about any changes to the character of East Jerusalem.
	I raised this issue during my meeting with Foreign Minister Lieberman and in my statement to the UN Security Council on 11 May 2009. We will continue to press the Israeli Government to freeze all such activity.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has  (a) deducted maintenance payments or arrears from bank accounts without going through a court,  (b) issued a liability order under section 32M of the Child Support Act 1991,  (c) applied to a court for (i) a disqualification from holding or obtaining a passport and (ii) a curfew and  (d) recovered arrears from a deceased person's estate.

Kitty Ussher: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have therefore asked the child maintenance commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner. The Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has (a) deducted maintenance payments or arrears from bank accounts without going through a court, (b) issued a Liability Order under section 32M of the Child Support Act 1991, (c) applied to a court for (i) a disqualification from holding or obtaining a passport and (ii) a curfew and (d) recovered arrears from a deceased person's estate.
	The new enforcement powers required to allow the Commission to take the actions noted in your question are provided by the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 and are yet to be commenced. It is therefore not possible to provide the requested information at this time.
	The Commission plans to commence the deduction order powers later this year to administratively remove funds from bank accounts, either periodically or in a lump sum, without going to court. A Deduction Order can be used in cases where a Deduction from Earnings Order cannot, for example, where the non-resident parent is self-employed.
	No dates have yet been set to for implementation of Administrative Liability Orders, application to court for passport disqualification / curfew, or recovery of maintenance arrears from a deceased person's estate.
	I am sorry on this occasion I can not be more helpful.

Cold Weather Payments: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Hendon constituency received cold weather payments in 2008-09; and what the average amount received by such individuals was.

Kitty Ussher: Information on the number of pensioners in Hendon who received Cold Weather Payments in 2008-09 is not available. Hendon constituency is linked to Heathrow weather station which triggered once in 2008-09.
	The amount received by eligible pensioners was £25 for each week that the cold weather payment was triggered in their area.

Jobcentre Plus: Manpower

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1980W, on Jobcentre Plus: manpower, if he will provide a description of each job in Jobcentre Plus in each pay grade.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	*The full answer and the information requested appear at XXXX [answer from end of 12th June moved here by TheyWorkForYou]
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking, with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1980W, on Jobcentre Plus: manpower, for a description of each job in Jobcentre Plus in each pay grade. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Whilst certain roles within many operational posts in Jobcentre Plus are standard, the mix of roles within each job can vary.
	By way of example, there are approximately 50 individual Job Role descriptors for a Jobcentre, which all Jobcentres would cover. Many Jobcentres therefore will have less than 50 employees and instead will establish posts (or jobs) that cover a range of these roles and responsibilities in a variety of permutations. Each manager will in turn set an individual set of objectives for each job holder. Similarly, non operational jobholders within functions such as Projects, Finance and Planning cover roles that are also not standard. Many of these jobholders will necessarily have individual descriptions. This variety and volume of jobs means that a description of every job in every grade is not available.
	Instead, we have established over 200 Job Role descriptors covering operational roles, broken down by grade. I have listed these in Annex 1. The descriptors will be placed in the Library.
	I hope this information is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons jobseeker's allowance customers are required to ring 0845 telephone numbers to apply for jobs on Jobseeker Direct; what free alternatives there are to this service; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 27 April 2009
	The cost of calling 0845 numbers remains lower than many alternatives and, where it is possible, using BT landlines to call 0845 numbers is usually the lowest cost option. Research was carried out in 2008 to estimate the additional telephony charges DWP would incur by switching all existing 0845 services to 0800. We do not have a precise amount, but it is estimated that the switch would cost £10 million a year. In addition, there would be one-off transition costs of changing literature and raising awareness with staff, estimated at £1 million.
	BT account for two-thirds of landline provision and our recent research shows that over 80 per cent. of our customers contact us using landlines. We believe that 0845 numbers offer the best solution for the majority of our customers, including those wishing to apply for jobs with Jobseeker Direct. We understand that not everyone has access to a BT landline and if that is the case, we will always call back if asked to do so, so that we absorb the cost of the call.
	If customers are unable to call Jobseeker Direct on the 0845 number, Jobcentre Plus offices have touch screen Jobpoint terminals installed for customers to use to access the same full range of vacancies available through Jobseeker Direct. In addition, all vacancies can be accessed online via the Directgov Jobseekers website and there are normally places available locally, such as libraries, which offer free internet access to jobseekers who are unable to get to a jobcentre or unable to access the internet in any other way.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, column 269W, on jobseeker's allowance, what  (a) quantitative and  (b) qualitative evaluation has been undertaken of (i) the extent to which signposting takes place and (ii) the outcomes it achieves; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	*The full answer and the information requested appear at XXXX [answer from end of 12th June moved here by TheyWorkForYou]
	 Letter from Ruth Owen:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff of 10 March 2009 on Jobseeker's Allowance, what quantitative and qualitative evaluation has been undertaken of the extent to which signposting takes place and the outcome it achieves. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mel Groves as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. Mel Groves is currently on Annual Leave and I am replying in his absence.
	Signposting customers to appropriate agencies, for advice and support including debt and financial management, is an integral part of the service offered by Jobcentre Plus staff. Jobcentre Plus interacts with over 100,000 members of the public every working day. Where such referrals arise from a work focused interview with a Personal Adviser. It would quite naturally be followed up at subsequent interviews.
	Jobcentre Plus does not carry out the specific types of evaluation asked for in your question. However it does signpost customers, and there is a Quality Assurance Framework, which is used by managers to assess the performance of our advisers.
	Individual Personal Advisers are assessed using a Quality Assurance Framework. This helps to make sure our advisory services are effective, efficient and of consistently high quality. It is a framework for regularly reviewing adviser functions that allows us to reward and recognise good performance as well as identify where performance can be improved and making improvements where necessary. One of the criteria we look for is an understanding of the range and detail of support available through external partners. We expect our Personal Advisers to act as the customer's advocate through a range of contracted/non-contracted provision and services.

Members: Correspondence

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Lichfield,  Official Report, 11 May 2009, columns 545-6, when he plans to write to the hon. Member for Lichfield.

Tony McNulty: I wrote to the hon. Member for Lichfield on 1 June 2009.

Pension Protection Fund

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the assets of the Pension Protection Fund have been in each year since 2005; what payments have been made from that fund in each such year; and what pension payments he expects to be made from that fund in each of the next six years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  PPF Assets( 1)  PPF Payments( 2) 
			 2005-06 141,430,000 (3)Nil 
			 2006-07 835,514,000 1,402,000 
			 2007-08 1,718,594,000 17,313,000 
			 2008-09 (4)— (4)— 
			 (1) Total assets less current liabilities (not taking into account the long term liabilities of the fund). 2 Compensation payments. 3 No schemes transferred. 4 The PPF is in the process of finalising this information for the annual report and accounts which will be published in the autumn. 
		
	
	Forecast information on expected pension compensation payments for the next six years is not available.

Pension Protection Fund

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Coventry South of 13 May 2009,  Official Report, column 865, on Rover Group: pensions, what estimate his Department made of the extra costs which would be imposed consequent on the changes to the operation of the Pension Protection Fund in respect of people who took early retirement before the relevant scheme entered that fund; and what assessment he made of the capacity of the Pension Protection Fund levy to meet those extra costs.

Rosie Winterton: As at April 2008, the estimated cost of removing the 90 per cent. compensation limit and the compensation cap for the people who had taken early retirement before April 2005 in a scheme that had already been admitted into the Pension Protection Fund was around £4 million. That figure is based on the number of individuals affected at that time and does not reflect the costs in relation to early retirees in schemes which entered the PPF after April 2008 or those which may do so in the future as such information is not readily available. The pension protection levy is a matter for the board of the Pension Protection Fund, but any extra costs would be borne by levy payers.
	The estimated costs are one factor in the Government's decision not to change the way in which the Pension Protection Fund treats early retirees. The second is equality of treatment between those people who receive PPF compensation. Removing the compensation limit and the cap for some individuals who were under scheme pension age at the time their pension scheme entered the Pension Protection Fund would introduce inequalities in treatment of individuals under normal pension age and lead to a two tier system. The 90 per cent. limit and the cap ensure consistent treatment based on the individual's age at the time their pension scheme enters the PPF. They ensure that people who are able to take early retirement are not placed in a more beneficial position than those who stay in employment.

Pensioners: Poverty

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners were estimated to be living in poverty in each English region in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007-08.

Rosie Winterton: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
	Our public service agreement "Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life" includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), all measured after housing costs have been taken into account.
	The estimated number of pensioners living below each of these low income thresholds by each English region in 1996-97 and 2007-08 are published in Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2007-08, a copy of which is available in the Library.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to answer Question 258770, on deprived areas funds, tabled on 20 February 2009.

Tony McNulty: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 30 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1488W.

DEFENCE

Climate Change

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to adapt its activities to climate change in the last two years.

Kevan Jones: The MOD is involved in the cross-Government Adapting to Climate Change Programme, which brings together and drives forward work on adapting to climate change across Government and the public sector in England. The programme was established in January 2008, and its work includes implementation of the adaptation aspects of the Climate Change Act, such as development of the national Climate Change Risk Assessment. Information about the programme and its work can be found at the following link:
	www.defra.gov/adaptation.
	As well as working together to tackle issues that affect all Departments and their work, each Government Department is adapting to climate change in its own operations and policies.
	In December 2008 the Ministry of Defence published its climate change strategy, which sets out how the Department will adapt our policy planning, equipment and estate to a changing climate. Information about this can be found at the following link:
	www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/73ED201B-CC03-41B4-8936-6BED49469D6E/0/ClimateChangeStrategy2009.pdf
	The Department has ongoing research into climate change impacts around the globe to determine the potential security threats that may arise as a result of climate change and how our policies and force development may need to alter to reflect this.
	For our estate, we are in the early phases of developing a Climate Impacts Risk Assessment Methodology that will consider the risks, incidents and geological effects associated with climate change events. We have begun the first pilot exercise for this model, the findings of which will be built into our long-term strategic development plans.

Climate Change

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of his Department's potential gross  (a) costs and  (b) savings arising from its climate change adaptation measures in the next three years.

Kevan Jones: It is not currently possible to provide estimates of the potential costs and savings arising from MOD climate change adaptation measures over the next three years. It has, however, been shown in the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change that timely and well-targeted climate adaptation measures will yield benefits in excess of their costs. Some of these benefits will accrue to Departments as cost-savings over the next three years, and in future years. The main rationale for MOD investment is to address climate risk and contribute to reduction of the UK's vulnerability to longer-term climate change impacts.
	The Government is undertaking a Climate Change Risk Assessment and Economic Analysis, which will provide estimates of the costs and benefits of adaptation to the UK. This analysis will be presented to Parliament in 2011.
	The Government will also be publishing supplementary appraisal guidance this summer. This will help to ensure that adaptation measures are designed and implemented in a cost-effective manner.

Defence Storage and Distribution Agency: Redundancies

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether a health and safety impact assessment has been conducted on the proposed programme of redundancies at the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency;
	(2)  what involvement Ministers from his Department have had in the development of proposals to make posts redundant at the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency;
	(3)  what the reasons are for the proposed programme of redundancies at the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency;
	(4)  how many redundancies are planned at the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency; and at which sites such redundancies are planned;
	(5)  what recent assessment he has made of the merits of the proposed programme of redundancies at the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency on the defence supply chain; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  if the Government will suspend the planned programme of redundancies at the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency for the period of the suspension of the Chief Operating Officer and the Financial Director.

Quentin Davies: The Defence Storage and Distribution Agency's proposed planned programme of efficiencies is currently under review and I will write to the hon. Member once a decision has been made.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Manpower

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many people under the age of  (a) 26,  (b) 31,  (c) 36 and  (d) 41 years and resident in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK have been recruited to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service in the last five years;
	(2)  how many people resident in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK have been recruited to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service in the last five years.

Kevan Jones: The Royal Navy does not hold the information in the format requested. However, it is able to provide figures for the residency, which is taken from current address records, of those joining the Royal Fleet Auxiliary by postcodes for the North East. For this information the North East has been identified as incorporating the area from Berwick upon Tweed in the north, Barnards Castle in the west and Middlesbrough/Stockton/Darlington in the south.
	
		
			  Age on recruitment  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Under 26 71 68 34 58 20 
			 26 to 31 19 25 17 15 10 
			 32 to 36 15 15 12 14 7 
			 37 to 41 16 27 11 17 14 
			 Over 41 51 44 58 55 26 
			 Overall UK total 172 179 132 159 77 
		
	
	
		
			  Postcode DH  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Under 26 — — — — — 
			 26 to 31 — — — — — 
			 32 to 36 — 1 — — — 
			 37 to 41 — — — — — 
			 Over 41 1 — — — — 
			 Overall total 1 1 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Postcode DL  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Under 26 — — 1 — — 
			 26 to 31 — — — — — 
			 32 to 36 — — — — — 
			 37 to 41 — — — — — 
			 Over 41 — — — — 1 
			 Overall total 0 0 1 0 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Postcode NE  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Under 26 3 7 1 4 1 
			 26 to 31 — 2 — — 2 
			 32 to 36 1 — 1 2 — 
			 37 to 41 2 — 1 1 — 
			 Over 41 — 1 4 3 1 
			 Overall total 6 10 7 10 4 
		
	
	
		
			  Postcode TD  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Under 26 — — — — — 
			 26 to 31 — — — — — 
			 32 to 36 — — — — — 
			 37 to 41 — — — — — 
			 Over 41 — — — 1 — 
			 Overall total 0 0 0 1 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Postcode TS  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Under 26 3 2 — — — 
			 26 to 31 — — — — — 
			 32 to 36 — — — — — 
			 37 to 41 1 1 — — — 
			 Over 41 — — — 1 1 
			 Overall total 4 3 0 1 1 
		
	
	The figures for 2009 are provided up until 31 May.

Somalia: Piracy

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1159W, on Somalia: piracy, whether all of the 45 individuals captured by Royal Navy forces were Somali nationals; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The eight suspected pirates who were detained on 11 November 2008 and were subsequently transferred to the Kenyan authorities were Somali nationals.
	We believe that the remaining 37 suspects, who have been questioned but not detained by Royal Naval personnel, were also Somali nationals. However, we cannot be sure that they were all Somali nationals as we are almost wholly reliant on their own statements to determine their nationality.

Trident Submarines

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the expenditure of £100 million to design a new missile compartment for the Vanguard replacement submarine announced in 2009 was included in the cost figures for the new submarine provided in the 2006 Defence White Paper.

Quentin Davies: The provision necessary to deliver the common missile compartment design requirement was included within the £11-14 billion estimate for the submarines contained in the 2006 White Paper (Cm 6994).

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Death: Epilepsy

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people  (a) in total and  (b) under the age of 25 have died with epilepsy being recorded as a contributing factor to the death in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated June 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people (a) in total and (b) under the age of 25 have died with epilepsy being recorded as a contributing factor to the death in each of the last five years. (278133)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths where epilepsy was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate for persons (a) of all ages and (b) under the age of 25 in England and Wales, for the years 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths where epilepsy( 1)  was mentioned on the death certificate, England and Wales( 2) , 2003-2007( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			  Year  All ages  Under 25 
			 2003 2,277 195 
			 2004 2,100 179 
			 2005 2,269 192 
			 2006 2,251 194 
			 2007 2,240 175 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes G40-G41. Deaths are included where epilepsy was recorded as the underlying cause of death or mentioned anywhere else on the death certificate. (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Departmental ICT

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps his Department is taking to increase the effectiveness of the use of information communications technology in  (a) the Cabinet Office,  (b) 10 Downing Street and  (c) the civil service.

Liam Byrne: The Department is improving the effectiveness of its use of information communications technology (ICT) by leading and participating in the Public Sector Flex framework. Public Sector Flex is an ICT shared service for the public sector offering a core desktop computing environment and a comprehensive range of additional ICT services. It will provide economies of scale and significant cost reductions, but with clear service quality standards.
	The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of Cabinet Office and therefore follows its guidelines and policies in the use of ICT.
	The Government's strategy for increasing the effectiveness of its use of technology more widely in the civil service is set out in "Transformational Government—Enabled by Technology" (Cm. 6683). The latest Annual Report is available at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/cio/transformational _government/annual_report2007.aspx
	and is available in the Libraries of the House.

Honours: Arts

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who the Chair of the Arts and Media Honours Committee is; on what date the appointment was made; and for how long a term.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 6 May 2009
	The Chair of the Arts and Media Honours Committee is Lord Stevenson of Coddenham.
	He was appointed in line with the recruitment process set out in the Government's White Paper 'Reform of the Honours System' (Cm 6479), which was a response to the Public Administration Select Committee's July 2004 Report 'A Matter of Honour: Reforming the Honours System' (HC212-I), and Sir Hayden Phillips' report on his review of the honours system.
	The post of the Chair of the Arts and Media Honours Committee was advertised in the  Sunday Times on 9 March 2008 and on the Public Appointments Unit's website. Lord Stevenson's application was considered by an interview panel which drew up a shortlist of candidates who were interviewed.
	Lord Stevenson was appointed on 18 June 2008. The position is unpaid. The normal term of appointment is three years.

Minimum Wage: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the number of people in Darlington constituency whose income rose following the introduction of the national minimum wage.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for an estimate of the number of people in Darlington constituency whose income rose following the introduction of the national minimum wage. (275750)
	Estimates for the number of jobs paid below the national minimum wage by Parliamentary Constituency are not available.
	For the UK as a whole, the number of employee jobs paid below the 1999 national minimum wage in 1998 was 1,280 thousand (6 per cent), in 1999 it was estimated at 490 thousand jobs (2 per cent).
	A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=5837

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Consumer Credit: Licensing

John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with the Office of Fair Trading on renewal of consumer credit licences.

Gareth Thomas: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is responsible for the licensing of businesses who offer credit services. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform maintains a continuous dialogue with the OFT regarding all aspects of its regulatory business.

Economic and Monetary Union

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what activities have been undertaken by his Department's Euro Minister in that capacity.

Gareth Thomas: Euro Ministers are responsible for euro preparations in their department and attend Euro Ministers Steering Group meetings. Meetings are held only when necessary to discuss practical preparations to ensure a smooth changeover.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letter of 19 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Northavon sent on behalf of Mr. I Hill of Wick on consumer protection.

Gareth Thomas: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding. I answered the hon. Member's correspondence on 3 June.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when a reply will be sent to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 18 March 2009, transferred from the Treasury on 27 March, PO Ref: 1/69691/2009), about tax.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 1 June 2009
	I responded to the hon. Member on 14 May. I apologise for the delay which was caused by the current high volumes of correspondence.

Members: Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for West Derbyshire of 17 March 2009 on problems with a business.

Patrick McFadden: I apologise to the right hon. Member for the delay in responding. The right hon. Member will receive a response shortly by the relevant Minister.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Tidal Impoundment

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the viability of tidal impoundment schemes for electricity generation.

Mike O'Brien: The Severn Tidal Power feasibility study led by my Department is investigating the potential for tidal impoundment in the Severn Estuary. Work so far suggests that three barrage and two lagoon options are potentially commercially and technically viable.

Estuaries: Electricity Generation

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which estuaries in Great Britain are being considered for possible electricity-generating barrages; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Tidal power generation is under consideration by the Government in the Severn Estuary, and by private business consortia and community interest groups in a number of other estuaries including the Mersey, the Solway Firth and the Thames.

Policy Adaptation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last met the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to discuss Government policy on adaptation to climate change.

Joan Ruddock: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and DECC officials meet regularly with colleagues in DEFRA to discuss a range of issues, including adapting to climate change.
	It is essential that our Departments work closely together, so that our work on managing the impacts of climate change in the UK complements and reinforces our work to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Nuclear Waste Export

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he next plans to review the effectiveness of the law on the export of nuclear waste; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Current legislation, some put in place as recently as December, effectively controls the export of nuclear waste.

Carbon Capture

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the current efficacy of carbon capture technologies in coal-fired power stations.

Mike O'Brien: There are a few small scale CCS pilots operating successfully around the world already. The real issue now is large commercial-scale demonstration and we announced in April plans to support up to four such demonstration projects in the UK.

Offshore Wind Farms

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he next expects to meet representatives of renewable energy companies to discuss offshore wind farms.

Mike O'Brien: DECC Ministers and officials regularly meet renewable energy companies. For example, I am scheduled to speak at the British Wind Energy Association's Offshore Wind conference on 24 June.

Coal-fired Power Stations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his timetable is for consultation on the framework for development of new coal-fired power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We plan to publish it soon.

Carbon Sequestration

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on the establishment of plants to demonstrate carbon capture and storage technology; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: In Budget 2009, the Government announced plans to accelerate the demonstration of carbon capture and storage. This included the announcement of £90 million of public funding for FEED studies. The competition is now moving to the next stage of invitation to negotiate.
	In addition, the Chancellor announced proposals to expand our demonstration effort through a financial mechanism to support up to four demonstration projects, including the competition.

Climate Change: USA

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last met his US counterpart to discuss climate change.

Joan Ruddock: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has held a number of discussions with senior figures in the US administration, including the Climate Change Envoy and the Secretary of Energy during his recent visit to Washington and during subsequent discussions at the US-chaired Major Economies Forum and in the margins of other multilateral meetings.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) BlackBerry devices and  (b) mobile telephones have been lost by (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since its creation.

Mike O'Brien: The Department uses BlackBerrys and mobile phones provided by both the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs. The detailed process of reallocating resources from these Departments has not yet been completed and losses of these devices will be included in any BERR or DEFRA returns.

Energy: Meters

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects smart meters to have been installed in every home in North West Leicestershire constituency.

Mike O'Brien: Last year the Government announced their intention to mandate smart metering for all households. This will be a major project involving the installation of about 47 million smart meters. There is a substantial programme of work to complete to prepare for the roll-out, but we have set an indicative timetable for a completion of the roll-out by the end of 2020.

Warm Front Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many complaints he has received about the operation of the Warm Front scheme in 2009.

Joan Ruddock: The Department has only recorded the number of complaints it has received about Warm Front since the beginning of April this year. Up until the end of May, DECC has received 275 expressions of dissatisfaction with the scheme.

Wind Power

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward measures to promote community ownership of wind energy generation.

Mike O'Brien: The Government currently support community energy projects through the Renewables Obligations and the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.
	We have committed to feed-in tariffs for renewable energy generation, from April 2010.
	Within the context of the Renewable Energy Strategy the Government are considering options for greater community involvement in the development of renewables projects.

Wind Power: Health Hazards

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the effect of the operation of wind turbines on public health.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and his officials have had discussion with relevant Government Departments, including the Department of Health, on the content of the suite of energy National Policy Statements (NPSs) being introduced under the Planning Act 2008. This will include guidance on the effects of wind turbines.
	The Government's Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 22 on renewable energy sets out the Government's policies for renewable energy, which planning authorities should have regard to when preparing local development documents and when taking planning decisions.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of asylum cases were brought to a conclusion, including appeals,  (a) within two months,  (b) between two and six months,  (c) between six and 12 months and  (d) over 12 months in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 16 December 2008
	Data on conclusion performance by year of application are only available from the introduction of end-to-end processing of new asylum applications in April 2006. Prior to that date, performance targets were based on the length of time it took to reach an initial decision on an asylum application, rather than the length of time it took to conclude a case.
	The PSA Delivery Agreement 3, Indicator 2 refers to the reduction in the time to conclusion of asylum application. The measure is to ensure a target percentage of cases should be resolved within six months as per the following:
	35 per cent. by end of April 2007;
	40 per cent. by end of December 2007;
	60 per cent. by end of December 2008;
	75 per cent. by end of December 2009;
	90 per cent. by end of December 2011.
	The method of reporting against the target is based on the performance of the specific monthly cohort of cases reaching six months. Hence all reporting is done against a six months timeframe. A cohort is specified as those new applications received between 1st and 31st of each month.
	The conclusion measurement requires applications to be granted asylum or some form of leave to remain in the UK, allowed at appeal or removed within 182 days (six months) to be counted as concluded.
	Performance against the targets has been published in National Statistics as follows:
	38 per cent. of new applications received in September 2006 were concluded in six months by the end of by April 2007;
	46 per cent. of new applications received in June 2007 were concluded in six months by the end of December 2007;
	62 per cent. of new applications received in June 2008 were concluded in six months by the end of December 2008.
	Published information is not available in relation to conclusion of applications in timescales other than six months.

Borders: Personal Records

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training UK Border Agency staff will receive as part of the introduction of e-borders.

Jacqui Smith: e-Borders is being rolled out in a phased approach. In advance of each phase, a dedicated team will work closely with the business to identify staff affected and assess any required learning needs.
	A detailed Learning Needs Assessment, Strategy and Plan for Phase 1 has been delivered and accepted and the same approach for Phase 2 is in development and will be delivered in time for roll out has been designed to support delivery. Training will be delivered either directly from the e-Borders team, or via the "Train the Trainer" format, using existing agency trainers in the business.
	Training includes the skills and knowledge required to use the system and the necessary behavioural changes to support this. Data handling and security of personal data will be an integral part of the training.

Crime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1278W, on crime: statistics, which classification each of these offences now belongs to.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is given in the table. Data under these new offence classifications will be presented for the first time in the annual crime statistics to be published in July 2009.
	
		
			  New offence classifications for offences previously classified as 'Less serious wounding' 
			  Components of classification 8A 'Less serious wounding' prior to 1 April 2008  New classifications with effect from  1 April 2008  Main offence sub-heading 
			 Wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm, with or without weapon. Now split into:  
			  Offences against the Person Act 1861 sec 20. Class 8F: Inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent. Most serious violence against the person. 
			  Class 8G: Actual bodily harm and other injury. Other violence against the person. 
			
			 Administering poison with intent to injure or annoy. Class 8K: Poisoning or female genital mutilation. Other violence against the person. 
			  Offences against the Person Act 1861 sec 24.   
			
			 Drivers injuring persons by furious driving. Class 8G: Actual bodily harm and other injury. Other violence against the person. 
			  Offences against the Person Act 1861 sec 35.   
			
			 Assault on person preserving wreck. Class 8G: Actual bodily harm and other injury. Other violence against the person. 
			  Offences against the Person Act 1861 sec 37.   
			
			 Assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Class 8G: Actual bodily harm and other injury. Other violence against the person. 
			  Offences against the Person Act 1861 sec 47.   
			
			 Assault with intent to resist apprehension. Class 8G: Actual bodily harm and other injury. Other violence against the person. 
			  Offences against the Person Act 1861 sec 38.   
			
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place injuring any person. Class 8G: Actual bodily harm and other injury. Other violence against the person. 
			  Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 sec 3(1).   
			
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to enter a non-public place and injure any person. Class 8G: Actual bodily harm and other injury. Other violence against the person. 
			  Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 sec 3(3).   
			
			 Excise, infibulate, aid, abet, counsel. Class 8K: Poisoning or female genital mutilation. Other violence against the person. 
			  Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 sec 1(1), 2, 3 and 5.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many educational institutions have received a rating of  (a) A,  (b) B and  (c) F from the UK Border Agency under the new Tier 4 registration system.

Jacqui Smith: As of 29 April 2009, there have been 1,491 educational establishments awarded an A rating and 41 educational standards awarded a B rating under the Tier 4 Points Based System. There is no F Rating.

Internet: Data Protection

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requirements there are for UK internet service providers wishing to use deep packet inspection targeted advertising systems to obtain consent from individual internet users prior to the collection of data relating to individuals.

Jack Straw: I have been asked to reply.
	The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) requires all data controllers, including internet services providers, to comply with the DPA and the data protection principles, when processing personal data. Personal data must not be processed unless, amongst other things, at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 to the DPA is met. In the case of sensitive personal data, a condition in Schedule 3 must also be met. Consent is one condition for processing personal data, but it is not the only one, and whether consent is required for certain processing to take place will depend upon the particular circumstances.
	Additionally the Internet Advertising Bureau has recently launched a code of practice which focuses on free and informed consent. Many internet services providers and key players have signed up to this, including Phorm, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL.
	Anyone with concerns or complaints about the way in which personal data are being processed can refer the matter to the Information Commissioner, the independent regulator for the DPA, to investigate.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter of 4 December 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mrs. Shakeela Band.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 21 January 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reply to the letter dated 20 January 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mrs. Kadididja Benguana Epse Benneddall.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 20 April 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter of 20 April 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. S. Tygier.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 28 May 2009.

Passports: Fraud

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many attempted frauds in applications for passports have been detected by the Identity and Passport Service in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The following table gives figures for attempted frauds detected in passport applications for each of the last five financial years.
	The measurement of fraud is a complex issue. Historically IPS has counted as fraudulent only those cases which it has been possible to confirm absolutely as fraud. In recent years IPS has been engaged in a programme of work to better understand the nature and level of fraud within the passport application process and the success of existing measures in preventing fraud. This work has established that there were a significant number of cases in which IPS routinely prevents the issue of passports to fraudsters without actually recording those cases as fraudulent.
	As a result, processes to provide a more accurate measure of IPS performance in countering fraud have been developed and refined. This is the reason for the significant step change in success that IPS is now able to report. IPS currently uses a tiered approach to recording fraudulent applications based on the level of likelihood of fraud. Fraud is now categorised as confirmed fraud, probable fraud and possible fraud.
	IPS continues to undertake analysis to better understand the fraud perpetrated against it and to more accurately measure and record its performance in this complex but important area.
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004-05 1,497 
			 2005-06 6,497 
			 2006-07 6,108 
			 2007-08 9,382 
			 2008-09 9,254

Passports: Fraud

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports have been issued to individuals who were subsequently found to have used the identities of deceased British citizens to obtain those passports in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The following figures show the number of instances in which Identity and Passport Service has identified and recorded passports issued to individuals subsequently found to have used the identities of deceased British citizens in their applications:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004-05 68 
			 2005-06 64 
			 2006-07 7 
			 2007-08 3 
			 2008-09 5 
		
	
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, should be treated as provisional and is subject to change.

Police: Powers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what timetable she has set for returning to custody sergeants the power to charge individuals in respect of all offences triable in magistrates' courts; and by what date this change will have been implemented nationally.

Jacqui Smith: We have no plans at this stage to reverse the policy of statutory charging.
	A recent joint HMIC/HMCPSI inspection reported that statutory charging has delivered good quality final charging decisions by prosecutors, and had caused weak cases to be discontinued earlier, thereby saving time and cost for the police service, CPS and the courts.
	We are working with Jan Berry, the independent Reducing Bureaucracy Advocate, and criminal justice partners to improve the custody and charging processes so that they deliver the best possible service to the police, prosecutors and the public.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer Question  (a) 241867, on personal data,  (b) 241874, on departmental procurement,  (c) 241656, on visas,  (d) 241601, on work permits,  (e) 241609, on business visitors and  (f) 241610, on business visitors tabled by the hon. Member for Beaconsfield on 4 December 2008.

Jacqui Smith: My hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration replied to the hon. Member for Beaconsfield on  (a) 1 June 2009,  Official Report, column 148W;  (b) 20 April 2009,  Official Report, column 163W;  (c) 30 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 952-53W;  (d) 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 952W and  (e) 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 952W.

PRIME MINISTER

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Prime Minister who is responsible for determining the UK's strategy in Afghanistan.

Gordon Brown: I accept responsibility for UK strategy in Afghanistan. I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made to the House on 29 April 2009,  Official Report, column 869-73.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Prime Minister what recent advice he has received from the Chief of the Afghan staff regarding future troop levels in Afghanistan.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Barrow and Furness (Mr. Hutton) on 1 June 2009,  Official Report, column 12.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Reviews

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many  (a) review and  (b) taskforce projects his Department has commissioned in each of the last five years; what the purpose of each such project is; when each such project (i) began and (ii) was completed; what the cost of each such project was; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: Summary information on taskforces and other standing bodies is available in the annual Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies". Copies of "Public Bodies 2008" are available in the Libraries of the House. Detailed information on ad hoc advisory bodies is available in the Office's annual report.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Departmental Billing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies paid in interest to suppliers under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in each year since its creation.

Si�n Simon: Since its creation, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and its agencies have not made any payments of interest to suppliers under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

Departmental ICT

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he has taken to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions arising from the operation of ICT systems in his Department under the Greening Government ICT Strategy.

Si�n Simon: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 27 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1065W.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Cabinet: Glasgow

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how much expenditure was incurred by his Department in respect of the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009;
	(2)  what expenditure on  (a) travel,  (b) accommodation and (c) food (i) he and (ii) officials in his Department incurred in connection with the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The total cost of travel incurred by my right hon. Friend and two officials in connection with his visits in Glasgow and the Cabinet meeting was 1,076.32.
	There was no departmental expenditure on accommodation or food.

Children in Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were in residential care in each local authority area in England in each year since 2000.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information is as follows and has also been placed in the House Libraries.
	
		
			  Children in residential care at 31 March, by local authorit y( 1,2,3,4) years ending 31 March 2000 to 2008coverage: England 
			   Children in residential carenumbe r 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 England 8,800 8,700 8,600 8,700 8,800 8,700 8,400 8,100 8,100 
			   
			 North East 550 530 500 460 410 410 370 360 360 
			 Darlington 15 15 15 20' 15 15 15 15 15 
			 Durham 70 55 45 55 50 40 35 40 35 
			 Gateshead 55 55 40 40 30 30 25 30 30 
			 Hartlepool 10 15 15 15 10 10 10 10 10 
			 Middlesbrough 40 35 40 45 20 25 25 25 25 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 75 75 55 40 45 45 40 50 50 
			 North Tyneside 45 45 50 40 30 30 30 35 30 
			 Northumberland 60 50 50 50 55 65 40 40 40 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 15 20. 15 15 10 10 15 15 20 
			 South Tyneside 45 45 40 30 35 35 35 30 30 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 40 30 35 40 30 30 25 20 25 
			 Sunderland 95 95 90 70 80 70 70 60 50 
			   
			 North West 1,550 1,450 1,440 1,520 1,480 1,450 1,370 1,300 1,230 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 55 40 40 15 25 25 20 20 25 
			 Blackpool 40 15 30 35 45 40 45 40 40 
			 Bolton 35 30 40 45 45 50 50 45 45 
			 Bury 40 40 25 30 35 30 30 25 25 
			 Cheshire 40 50 50 55 60 60 60 65 65 
			 Cumbria 45 40 45 50 40 40 35 40 35 
			 Halton 10 10 5 25 20 20 20 20 20 
			 Knowsley 20 25 35 30 40 30 25 30 25 
			 Lancashire 355 290 265 245 195 190 155 160 160 
			 Liverpool 220 185 160 175 140 90 110 95 85 
			 Manchester 135 125 155 200 235 265 270 250 225 
			 Oldham 60 50 50 45 45 45 45 45 45 
			 Rochdale 35 25 15 25 35 45 35 40 35 
			 Salford 125 130 110 105 100 110 105 95 90 
			 Sefton 65 75 85 120 85 70 65 60 55 
			 St. Helens 55 45 60 45 50 45 45 30 25 
			 Stockport 75 85 65 50 55 55 45 50 50 
			 Tameside 20 25 30 40 40 40 30 30 25 
			 Trafford 30 45 60 45 35 30 25 25 25 
			 Warrington 15 20 15 10 15 15 15 10 10 
			 Wigan 40 30 35 45 60 55 60 50 60 
			 Wirral 35 60 65 95 95 110 75 65 50 
			   
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,080 930 950 880 850 810 800 780 780 
			 Barnsley 65 45 55 55 45 40 40 25 30 
			 Bradford 115 85 105 105 100 95 115 105 110 
			 Calderdale 45 30 35 25 35 40 40 50 45 
			 Doncaster 85 105 75 60 55 60 60 55 60 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 45 40 40 40 40 40 30 35 20 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 125 95 105 85 65 55 55 50 50 
			 Kirklees 70 55 65 65 45 40 40 50 55 
			 Leeds 185 165 165 145 170 155 155 150 155 
			 North East Lincolnshire 35 25 20 20 30 25 20 25 20 
			 North Lincolnshire 30 30 25 25 35 25 25 20 20 
			 North Yorkshire 20 20 40 45 45 50 45 45 40 
			 Rotherham 35 40 60 45 25 35 30 30 30 
			 Sheffield 130 100 95 95 90 95 95 85 85 
			 Wakefield 55 60 35 45 45 40 35 35 35 
			 York 35 35 30 25 20 20 10 10 15 
			   
			 East Midlands 520 480 470 490 470 490 480 490 500 
			 Derby 70 60 65 60 50 55 55 55 55 
			 Derbyshire 80 70 55 35 65 70 75 75 70 
			 Leicester 40 30 15 35 55 45 40 45 45 
			 Leicestershire 30 25 40 60 45 55 50 55 55 
			 Lincolnshire 60 50 55 60 75 80 65 65 50 
			 Northamptonshire 105 100 105 85 70 65 85 85 100 
			 Nottingham 65 90 85 90 60 65 65 65 70 
			 Nottinghamshire 60 55 50 55 50 55 45 45 50 
			 Rutland 0 0 0 0  
			   
			 West Midlands 910 840 850 980 920 930 970 1,070 1,070 
			 Birmingham 335 280 305 335 280 270 310 355 380 
			 Coventry 40 45 50 55 55 60 65 80 75 
			 Dudley 50 35 30 50 50 60 60 60 60 
			 Herefordshire 30 30 25 20 10 10 15 20 20 
			 Sandwell 30 40 50 55 55 55 65 55 40 
			 Shropshire 35 25 30 45 25 30 35 35 35 
			 Solihull 40 30 40 40 35 40 50 80 105 
			 Staffordshire 100 85 75 115 105 90 100 100 95 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 45 50 65 80 60 70 65 70 60 
			 Telford and Wrekin 35 40 30 25 40 45 35 40 35 
			 Walsall 45 60 60 45 65 60 45 45 40 
			 Warwickshire 20 15 15 30 35 35 25 20 20 
			 Wolverhampton 50 45 30 50 40 50 45 40 45 
			 Worcestershire 60 65 45 45 60 60 60 60 60 
			   
			 East of England 750 740 770 780 780 770 770 700 700 
			 Bedfordshire 65 60 60 55 85 70 60 45 35 
			 Cambridgeshire 40 45 55 45 50 55 80 75 75 
			 Essex 195 175 190 210 200 175 175 160 175 
			 Hertfordshire 145 150 125 125 140 135 140 150 145 
			 Luton 30 35 40 35 40 35 35 35 30 
			 Norfolk 130 115 145 135 110 135 120 115 110 
			 Peterborough 25 30 35 25 35 60 45 40 30 
			 Southend-on-Sea 25 30 30 35 30 35 35 20 20 
			 Suffolk 65 70 70 75 70 60 .60 50 55 
			 Thurrock 25 30 25 30 20 15 15 15 20 
			   
			 London 1,960 2,110 2,090 2,000 2,250 2,170 2,040 1,910 1,790 
			 Inner London 1,070 1,130 1,070 990 1,150 1,170 1,060 940 790 
			 Camden 50 65 60 60 65 70 60 50 50 
			 City Of London 0 0 0 0 10 15 15 15 5 
			 Hackney 60 60 65 60 50 45 50 50 35 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 45 50 60 50 85 80 65 65 65 
			 Haringey 75 120 160 130 140 140 120 105 95 
			 Islington 170 155 125 115 130 130 90 75 30 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 65 65 45 50 35 35 55 40 45 
			 Lambeth 255 250 200 145 125 145 180 120 75 
			 Lewisham 100 135 120 140 175 150 110 105 95 
			 Newham 40 50 60 85 90 80 60 80 80 
			 Southward 95 60 55 75 75 85 95 90 85 
			 Tower Hamlets 60 50 55 45 70 90 80 60 55 
			 Wandsworth 35 45 35 10 35 25 20 35 35 
			 Westminster 20 30 30 20 60 75 55 40 35 
			   
			 Outer London 890 980 1,010 1,010 1,100 990 980 970 1,000 
			 Barking and Dagenham 60 90 105 85 30 25 30 30 35 
			 Barnet 40 45 65 80 60 70 55 55 55 
			 Bexley 25 20 15 25 10 15 15 10 10 
			 Brent 55 60 90 70 85 100 110 95 75 
			 Bromley 55 75 100 85 65 50 45 40 40 
			 Croydon 50 60 75 100 160 115 150 225 300 
			 Ealing 110 90 70 80 65 50 55 60 50 
			 Enfield 65 65 50 60 60 30 20 25 15 
			 Greenwich 60 80 90 100 105 80 70 70 70 
			 Harrow 25 35 30 25 45 40 40 40 30 
			 Havering 30 25 25 35 35 40 40 25 25 
			 Hillingdon 90 65 60 45 70 60 65 45 50 
			 Hounslow 70 65 50 50 70 75 65 50 70 
			 Kingston upon Thames 35 25 30 25 20 25 30 20 15 
			 Merton 20 30 10 15 25 25 20 15 20 
			 Redbridge 25 25 25 20 30 30 25 45 30 
			 Richmond upon Thames 15 40 40 30 25 25 20 15 10 
			 Sutton 20 20 10 20 25 20 20 15 15 
			 Waltham Forest 40 60 65 65 120 105 105 75 85 
			   
			 South East 920 990 990 910 990 1,030 990 930 1,100 
			 Bracknell Forest 30 25 20 15 15 15 20 20 15 
			 Brighton and Hove 25 45 50 40 35 35 40 45 40 
			 Buckinghamshire 50 55 45 45 60 55 55 60 65 
			 East Sussex 30 30 45 45 45 35 35 35 35 
			 Hampshire 125 135 115 130 135 130 140 140 125 
			 Isle of Wight   5 5 10 10 10 15 15 
			 Kent 110 170 150 130 140 190 150 85 240 
			 Medway Towns 20 30 30 30 20 15 15 15 20 
			 Milton Keynes 45 30 35 35 30 35 40 40 40 
			 Oxfordshire 70 70 60 55 60 60 45 45 50 
			 Portsmouth 35 35 55 40 35 35 30 30 35 
			 Reading 50 35 30 30 20 20 20 20 20 
			 Slough 25 30 20 20 15 30 35 40 30 
			 Southampton 20 15 30 20 30 35 30 30 25 
			 Surrey 125 130 140 125 155 170 140 135 140 
			 West Berkshire 30 20 15 15 15 20 20 15 15 
			 West Sussex 85 90 120 90 130 115 130 115 150 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 20 25 20 25 20 15 15 25 20 
			 Wokingham 25 20 15 15 10 15 20 25 15 
			   
			 South West 570 580 590 620 630 630 570 580 570 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 5 15 20 25 20 15 10 15 5 
			 Bournemouth 35 35 40 30 30 30 30 25 30 
			 Bristol, City of 75 50 60 75 85 80 70 70 65 
			 Cornwall 70 80 75 70 65 60 60 65 55 
			 Devon 75 70 75 100 85 80 95 105 110 
			 Dorset 20 25 15 20 35 40 40 40 35 
			 Gloucestershire 65 70 75 70 65 55 35 40 35 
			 Isles Of Scilly 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Somerset 15 20 10 10 15 10 10 10 5 
			 Plymouth 35 40 30 30 45 35 25 25 20 
			 Poole 15 15 15 25 15 15 10 10 10 
			 Somerset 85 75 65 50 60 75 65 70 65 
			 South Gloucestershire 20 15 15 20 30 30 25 25 25 
			 Swindon 15 20 30 30 15 25 25 15 15 
			 Torbay 15 15 15 25 25 15 15 20 20 
			 Wiltshire 30 25 45 35 45 55 60 50 60 
			 (1.) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (2.) Children in residential care include children looked after and placed in secure unit, children placed in homes and hostels subject to children's homes regulations, children placed in residential accommodation (hostels and supportive residential settings) not subject to children's homes regulations, children placed in residential settings and children in all residential schools, except where dual-registered as a school and children's home. (3.) Figures are taken from the SSDA903 return which for 2000 to 2003 have been derived from the one third sample, while figures for 2004 to 2008 cover all children looked after. (4.) Rounding and suppressionto ensure that no individual can be identified from statistical tables, we use conventions for rounding and suppression of very small numbers. England totals have been rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. Regional totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. All other numbers have been rounded to the nearest five, and numbers from one to five inclusive have been suppressed, being replaced in the published table by a hyphen ().  Source: SSDA 903

Children: Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects Ofsted next to report on lessons from serious case reviews.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 19 May 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Ofsted has started the preparation for its second report on the outcomes of serious case reviews, based on evaluations which were completed between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009. This is provisionally planned for publication in late August 2009.
	In light of Lord Laming's recent recommendations, Ofsted also intends to produce more regular reports, at six-monthly intervals, which summarise the lessons from serious case reviews. We have yet to agree the pattern of dates of these reports.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Climate Change

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to adapt to climate change in the last two years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of his Department's potential gross  (a) costs and  (b) savings arising from its climate change adaptation measures in the next three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: For the schools estate, some of the steps taken by DCSF and local authorities include:
	increasing the flood resilience of schools that have been or could be subject to flooding;
	promoting sustainable urban drainage strategies and other sustainable water management practices in new and existing school projects, as identified in the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) report funded by the Department(1);
	promoting passive environmental design of new buildings to prevent summertime overheating; and
	joint DCSF/HPA guidance for teachers and other professionals on looking after schoolchildren during heatwaves(2).
	The Department has not made any estimate of the costs and savings from climate change adaptation measures in schools. However some cost analysis of the possible impacts on buildings was published in a report by the Foundation for the Built Environment published in 2000(3).
	The Department's Estates and Facilities Management Division has earmarked 500,000 and 550,000 for the next two years, to invest in sustainability measures in the Department's buildings. Assessments will be made of each potential sustainability improvement and we will invest in projects with a three-year payback or better. We are not yet in a position to determine the amount of these monies that will be spent on climate change adaptation measures or the value of the savings associated with them.
	(1 )Sustainable water management in schools (W012) available free from
	www.ciria.org.uk/suds/publications.htm
	(2 )Guidance for Teachers and other professionals on looking after Schoolchildren during Heatwaves
	http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAwebHPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1210577610802?p=1204031509010.
	and Background Information from HPA and DCSF on looking after Schoolchildren during heatwaves
	http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAwebHPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1210577610624?p=1204031509010
	(3 )Potential implications of climate change in the built environment, Hilary M Graves, Mark C Phillipson, 2000, ISBN 1860814476, available from
	http://www.brebookshop.com/details.jsp?id=144643.

Departmental ICT

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he has taken to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide emissions arising from the operation of ICT systems in his Department under the Greening Government ICT Strategy.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer my hon. Member to the reply given on 24 April 2009, Official Report, column 898W.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1708W, on departmental training, which Ministers attended the  (a) induction workshop,  (b) action learning set,  (c) media training and  (d) select committee training courses; and what the total cost of these courses was.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Ministers in the Department for Children, Schools and Families who have attended personal training courses are:  (a) Induction Workshop: Sarah McCarthy-Fry,  (b) Action Learning Set: Delyth Morgan,  (c) Media Training: Sarah McCarthy-Fry and Delyth Morgan,  (d) Select Committee Training: Sarah McCarthy-Fry.
	The total cost of these courses was 4,432.75.

Departmental Work Experience

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many work placements his Department and its predecessors offered to  (a) school pupils,  (b) university students and  (c) graduates in each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information is as follows:
	
		
			   School pupils  University students and graduates 
			 2005 69 14 
			 2006 78 27 
			 2007(1) 40 35 
			 2008 55 32 
			 (1) Department for Education and Skills up to 27 June 2007 and Department of Children, Schools and Families from 28 June 2007. 
		
	
	It is not possible to separate figures for university students and graduates.
	The Department is currently in the process of planning its own work experience programme for 2009.

Employment Tribunals Service

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many actions under employment law have been brought against his Department and its predecessor in each of the last three years; how many such actions were brought under each category of action; and how many such actions were contested by his Department at an employment tribunal.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department has defended less than five claims in employment tribunal hearings in each of the financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09. The Department was established on 28 June 2007. Further detail is suppressed on grounds of confidentiality.
	Information on the number of claims withdrawn during the process of being defended prior to a full hearing is not held and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information for the 2006-07 financial year could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Faith Schools: Finance

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding his Department provided to religious bodies as a contribution to their capital expenditure on voluntary-aided schools of a religious character in each year from 1997-98 to 2003-04; what proportion of his Department's expenditure such expenditure represented in each of those years; and in what instances his Department's contribution represented  (a) up to 90 per cent. and  (b) 90 per cent. or more of total project expenditure.

Jim Knight: The information set out as follows shows the amount of grant payable from 2001-02, the earliest year for which we have the information, to the governing bodies of those voluntary aided (VA) schools with a religious character. This is then shown as a proportion of the total departmental capital programme (including PFI credits) for all schools. Some VA schools will also have received some funding from programmes other than the main VA programmes but as these records are maintained mainly at local authority level we do not keep records of the amounts. The proportions in the table are therefore likely smaller than the actual share.
	Although most capital expenditure at voluntary aided schools requires a 10 per cent. contribution from their governing bodies, we do not have information relating to any other contributions made either by governing bodies or from any other source.
	
		
			   Amount paid up to 90 per cent. (000)  Amount paid 90-100 per cent. (000)  Amount as a proportion of the total departmental capital programme (percentage) 
			 2001-02 172,292 427 6.16 
			 2002-03 298,205 3,750 8.67 
			 2003-04 440,450 28,200 10.8 
			 Total 910,947 32,377

GCE A-Level

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average A-level points score per pupil was for secondary schools with sixth forms of  (a) 50 or fewer,  (b) 51 to 100,  (c) 101 to 150,  (d) 151 to 200,  (e) 201 to 250 and  (f) more than 250 pupils in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The information is published in the School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables on the Department's website at the following link:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables/16to18_08.shtml.
	A copy of the tables is available in the House Libraries.

GCE A-Level: History

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils who sat A-level history at mainstream maintained schools gained an A to E grade in that subject in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be found in the table:
	
		
			  Number and proportion of pupils who sat A-level history at mainstream maintained schools and who gained an A to E grade in that subject in each year since 1997 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 1997 16,713 86.6 
			 1998 16,710 87.2 
			 1999 16,541 87.9 
			 2000 16,617 88.9 
			 2001 17,034 88.7 
			 2002 20,159 97.1 
			 2003 20,903 97.9 
			 2004 21,987 98.1 
			 2005 22,767 98.1 
			 2006 23,723 98.1 
			 2007 23,826 98.4 
			 2008 24,811 98.9 
			  Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables. 
		
	
	The jump in the pass rate in 2002 is partly due to the new unitised A-level exams which saw the first cohort taking AS courses.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils did not gain a single GCSE grade excluding equivalents in 2008.

Jim Knight: The number of pupils that did not attain at least one full(1) GCSE (excluding all(2) equivalents) in the grade of A*-G is 24,119, which is a proportion of 3.7 per cent. of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in the year, 2008.
	(1) Short GCSE courses have been excluded. Full, double and extended double courses have been included.
	(2) GNVQ's have also been excluded.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils, including those in the cohort but not entered for examination, in  (a) comprehensive schools,  (b) independent schools,  (c) pupil referral units, excluding hospital schools,  (d) special schools,  (e) grammar schools,  (f) academies and city technology colleges and  (g) any other type of school attained five GCSEs grades A* to C, including English and mathematics and excluding equivalents in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The requested information is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Number and proportion of pupils at the end of KS4 that achieved five or more GCSEs( 1)  at grade A*-C, including English and maths, by school type in 2008 
			  School category  Number of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C  including English and maths  Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*- C including English and maths 
			  (a) Comprehensive(2) 247,840 46.2 
			  (b) Independent mainstream 22,597 49.0 
			  (c) Pupil referral units (excluding hospital schools) 55 0.8 
			  (d) Special schools(3) 110 1.0 
			  (e) Grammar schools 22,038 97.7 
			  (f) Academies and CTCs(2) 4,448 34.6 
			  (g) Other (modern and other maintained schools) 10,267 34.7 
			 (1) Only GCSE and vocational GCSE grades have been considered.  (2) Academies and CTCs are a subset of comprehensive schools.  (3) Including independent special schools and excluding hospital schools.

GCSE: Citizenship

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils sat a GCSE in citizenship studies in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many pupils sat GCSEs in both citizenship studies and history in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information required is given in the table. The GCSE short course in citizenship has only been available for the past five years.
	
		
			  Number of pupils attempting history and citizenship in 2003/04 to 2007/08 
			   GCSE short course in citizenship  Both full GCSE history and GCSE short course in citizenship 
			 2004 24,415 8,365 
			 2005 36,207 11,947 
			 2006 51,296 17,323 
			 2007 67,295 21,739 
			 2008 84,588 26,384 
			  Notes: 1. Figures in 2003/04 relate to 15-year-olds (age at start of academic year, ie 31 August) in all schools. 2. Figures for 2005 onwards relate to pupils at the end of Key Stage 4.

National Curriculum Tests

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which official of his Department minuted the meeting of 17 June 2008 between the Minister of State for Schools and David Gee about national curriculum tests; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 30 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1450W. My private secretary took a note of the meeting on 17 June 2008.

National Curriculum Tests: Reading Berkshire

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of pupils who attended a school in the Reading Local Education Authority area took the Key Stage 3 tests in  (a) English,  (b) mathematics and  (c) science attained the same or a lower level than they attained at Key Stage 2 (i) in total and (ii) for pupils who attained (A) level 3, (B) level 4 and (C) level 5 at Key Stage 2 in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of pupils who attended a school in the Reading Local Education Authority area and attained level 5 or below in the Key Stage 3 tests in  (a) English,  (b) mathematics and  (c) science in 2007 had previously attained level 5 or above at Key Stage 2.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information is in the following tables. Data for other years can be only provided at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Attainment( 1)  of pupils( 2)  in all schools at key stage 2 (2004) and key stage 3 (2007) analysed by subjectYear: 2007 (Revised); Coverage: Reading 
			   Percentage achieving key stage 3 level 
			  Key stage 2 level  Unable to access test  B  N  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  Total  Level 5 or above  Level 6 or above 
			  English91% of pupils with a valid result in English at key stage 3(3) also have a valid result in English at key stage 2(4)  
			 Disapplied 0 0 0  0 0 0 0 0  0 0 0 
			 B 0 58 21  x x x 0 0  100 x 0 
			 N 0 50 23  13 x x 0 0  100 x 0 
			 2 0 15 31  23 31 0 0 0  100 0 0 
			 3 0 6 8  8 45 31 0 0  100 31 0 
			 4 0 x 1  2 14 60 16 5  100 81 21 
			 5 0 0 0  0 0 17 47 35  100 99 82 
			   
			  Maths89% of pupils with a valid result in Maths at key stage 3(5) also have a valid result in Maths at key stage 2(6)  
			 Disapplied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 B 0 32 0 x 52 x 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 
			 N 0 0 x x 58 30 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 
			 2 0 0 x 0 25 67 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 
			 3 0 x x 0 10 41 34 11 0 0 100 45 11 
			 4 0 0 0 0 x 4 30 48 15 x 100 94 64 
			 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 7 33 60 100 100 99 
			   
			  Science89% of pupils with a valid result in Science at key stage 3(7) also have a valid result in Science at key stage 2(8)  
			 Disapplied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0 0 0 
			 B 0 x x 0 67 0 0 0 0  100 0 0 
			 N 0 0 36 0 27 27 0 0 0  100 0 0 
			 2 0 0 0 0 38 54 0 0 0  100 0 0 
			 3 0 x 4 x 23 50 16 0 0  100 16 0 
			 4 0 0 1 x 3 23 55 16 1  100 71 16 
			 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 13 27 58  100 98 86 
			 (1) Results of key stage 2 and key stage 3 tests, not teacher assessments. (2) Only pupils with a valid level at both key stage 2 and key stage 3 are included. (3) Valid results in KS3 English include levels 3-7, B, N, A, unable to access test and malpractice cases. Absent and Malpractice not shown within table. (4) Valid results in KS2 English include levels 2-6, D, B, N, A. Absent not shown within table. (5) Valid results in KS3 Maths include levels 3-8, B, N, A, unable to access test and malpractice cases. Absent and Malpractice not shown within table. (6) Valid results in KS2 Maths include levels 2-6, D, B, N, A. Absent not shown within table. (7) Valid results in KS3 Science include levels 3-7, B, N, A, unable to access test and malpractice cases. Absent and Malpractice not shown within table. (8) Valid results in KS2 Science include levels 2-6, D, B, N, A. Absent not shown within table.  Note: 'x' = Percentage suppressed due to small numbers 
		
	
	
		
			   Number  achieving key stage 3 level 
			  Key stage 2 level  Unable to access test  B  N  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  Total  Level 5 or above  Level 6 or above 
			  English91% of pupils with a valid result in English at key stage 3(3) also have a valid result in English at key stage 2(4)  
			 Disapplied 0 0 0 0  0 0 0 0  0 0 0 
			 B 0 20 10 x  x x 0 0  30 x 0 
			 N 0 20 10 x  x x 0 0  30 x 0 
			 2 0 x x x  x 0 0 0  10 0 0 
			 3 0 10 10 10  60 40 0 0  130 40 0 
			 4 0 x x 10  50 220 60 10  350 290 70 
			 5 0 0 0 0  0 60 150 110  320 320 260 
			   
			  Maths89% of pupils with a valid result in Maths at key stage 3(5) also have a valid result in Maths at key stage 2(6)  
			 Disapplied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 B 0 x x x 10 x 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 
			 N 0 0 x x 20 10 0 0 0 0 30 0 0 
			 2 0 0 0 0 x 10 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 
			 3 0 x x 0 20 80 60 20 0 0 180 80 20 
			 4 0 0 10 0 x 10 90 140 40 x 300 280 190 
			 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 20 110 210 340 340 340 
			   
			  Science89% of pupils with a valid result in Science at key stage 3(7) also have a valid result in Science at key stage 2(8)  
			 Disapplied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0 0 0 
			 B 0 x x 0 10 0 0 0 0  10 0 0 
			 N 0 0 x 0 x x 0 0 0  10 0 0 
			 2 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 0 0  10 0 0 
			 3 0 x x x 30 50 20 0 0  100 20 0 
			 4 0 0 10 x 10 80 190 50 x  340 240 60 
			 5 0 0 0 0 0 x 50 110 240  400 400 340 
			 (1) Results of key stage 2 and key stage 3 tests, not teacher assessments. (2) Only pupils with a valid level at both key stage 2 and key stage 3 are included. (3) Valid results in KS3 English include levels 3-7, B, N, A, unable to access test and malpractice cases. Absent and Malpractice not shown within table. (4) Valid results in KS2 English include levels 2-6, D, B, N, A. Absent not shown within table. (5) Valid results in KS3 Maths include levels 3-8, B, N, A, unable to access test and malpractice cases. Absent and Malpractice not shown within table. (6) Valid results in KS2 Maths include levels 2-6, D, B, N, A. Absent not shown within table. (7) Valid results in KS3 Science include levels 3-7, B, N, A, unable to access test and malpractice cases. Absent and Malpractice not shown within table. (8) Valid results in KS2 Science include levels 2-6, D, B, N, A. Absent not shown within table.  Notes: 1. 'x' Figures suppressed due to small numbers 2. All figures rounded to the nearest 10. Therefore parts may not sum to totals.

Pupil Exclusions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children of between five and seven years have been  (a) excluded from school for a fixed period and  (b) permanently excluded from school in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on the number of permanent and fixed period exclusions (not pupils) is published at:
	2006/07 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000793/index.shtml
	2005/06 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000733/index.shtml
	2004/05 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000662/index.shtml
	2003/04 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000582/index.shtml
	2002/03 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000535/index.shtml
	2001/02 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000427/index.shtml
	2000/01 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000365/index.shtml
	1999/2000 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000298/ index.shtml
	1998/99 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000209/index.shtml
	1997/98 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000025/index.shtml
	Data on permanent exclusions are available for the full period requested.
	Data on fixed period exclusions were collected for the first time in 2003/04 via the Termly Exclusions Survey. Since 2005/06 collection has been via the School Census, but in that first year was for secondary schools only. In 2006/07, collection was extended to primary and special schools.
	The School Census includes non-maintained special schools, city technology colleges and academies whereas the Termly Exclusions Survey excludes them. This difference in scope and the change in collection mechanism mean that caution is needed when comparing results since 2005/06 with those prior to that.

School Meals

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to ensure that school pupils eat healthy meals at school lunchtimes.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Secretary of State has set up the School Food Trust (SFT), put in place new nutritional standards, and is investing over 650 million to improve the quality of school food.
	Since September 2006 all schools have had to meet food-based standards for school lunches and, since September 2007, they have also had to meet food-based standards for other school food such as tuck shops, vending and breakfast clubs.
	Nutrient-based standards have been mandatory in primary schools since September 2008 and come into effect in secondary and special schools from September 2009.
	Together with the Trust, we have created a network of school FEAST (Food Excellence and Skills Training) centres to offer customised and new training and qualifications for school caterers. The Trust has put in place a range of guidance, communications and marketing activities, and a network of local school food ambassadors to encourage and support schools to provide good quality school lunches.
	The Trust's Million Meals programme provides a range of resources and support to increase take up.

Schools: Asbestos

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of maintained schools with asbestos in the fabric of the school building; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) were used extensively as building materials in Great Britain and the majority of schools are likely to contain them as are many other buildings both domestic and non-domestic. It has been estimated that more than 500,000 non-domestic premises, including schools, still contain ACMs.
	Many maintained schools built or refurbished between 1945 and the early 1980s have asbestos in the fabric of the school building because in that period ACMs were extensively used as building materials in new and refurbished schools, although asbestos removal has taken place in some of them since. In particular, pre-fabricated schoolsso called system-built schoolsof the CLASP, SCOLA and Hills types commonly used ACMs. The HSE records over 1,400 CLASP schools in the UK, and it has been estimated there are 13,000 system built schools.
	Major refurbishments normally include removal of all asbestos in areas in which work is undertaken and when new schools replace old ones the demolition includes the safe disposal of all ACMs.
	There are around 28,000 maintained schools in England. The following analysis, compiled in 2001, shows the ages of buildings of maintained schools in England, as percentages of floor area:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Pre 1919 14 
			 Inter war 13 
			 From 1945 to 1966 33 
			 From 1967 to 1976 24 
			 Post 1976 13 
			 Temporary premises 3 
		
	
	Our best estimate in September 2008 on the basis of the figures above was that around 70 per cent. of school buildings contain some ACMs.

Schools: Construction

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of the 100,000 jobs the Government plans to create he expects to result from school capital projects.

Jim Knight: A tentative estimate of the number of jobs that will be created from the acceleration of schools capital funding during the financial year 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 is 10,000.

Schools: Playing Fields

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the area of land used for school playing fields  (a) in 1997 and  (b) on the latest date for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data on areas of school playing fields and external spaces were supplied to my Department by local education authorities in 2001 and 2003. However, the completeness and quality of the data were not good enough to accurately estimate the area of land used.
	Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act was introduced in October 1998 to stop the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields. Local authorities and governing bodies of all maintained schools now need the Secretary of State's consent before they can dispose of a playing field or any part of a playing field.

Schools: Safety

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the  (a) methodology and  (b) frequency of fire safety inspections in schools.

Jim Knight: The management of fire safety in buildings is subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) (RRO) Order 2005. The guide to this legislation covering schools is the Risk Assessment Guide for Educational Premises 2006 (RRO Guide)(1). The RRO brings in a risk assessment based approach to fire safety. Risk assessment is a continual process and the responsible person for the school must ensure that it is updated as and when necessary. The Fire and Rescue Services are the enforcing authorities for the RRO and can inspect any premises at any time. There is no frequency given for such inspections but they are likely to be more frequent for high risk premises.
	(1) Fire Safety Risk AssessmentEducational Premises, published 2006, ISBN: 978 1 85112 819 8.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/firesafetyrisk6

Special Educational Needs

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs attended special schools in the  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) Teesside and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The available information is shown in the following table. Data for further years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Proportion of pupils( 1)  with statements of special educational needs attending special schools( 2,3) Years: 1997, 2000, 2005 and 2008 
			   1997  2000 
			   Special schools  Maintained  primary, state  funded secondary and special schools( 4)  Proportion in special schools  Special schools  Maintained  primary, state  funded secondary and special schools( 4)  Proportion in special schools 
			  England 92,360 226,170 40.8 91,480 243,800 37.5 
			
			  North East 6,240 12,960 48.2 5,650 13,600 41.5 
			
			  Teesside( 5) 1,480 2,750 54.0 1,310 2,840 46.3 
			 Hartlepool 220 380 57.4 210 420 50.5 
			 Middlesbrough 510 840 60.7 350 770 45.3 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 220 510 43.5 220 580 38.4 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 540 1,020 52.5 530 1,060 49.6 
			
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 160 320 48.6 150 410 36.9 
		
	
	
		
			   2005  2008 
			   Special schools  Maintained  primary, state  funded secondary and special schools( 4)  Proportion in special schools  Special schools  Maintained  primary, state  funded secondary and special schools( 4)  Proportion in special schools 
			  England 88,030 232,660 37.8 86,950 213,350 40.8 
			
			  North East 5,610 12,810 43.8 5,550 11,470 48.4 
			
			  Teesside( 5) 1,290 3,030 42.4 1,360 2,710 50.1 
			 Hartlepool 130 370 34.8 120 310 37.5 
			 Middlesbrough 430 980 43.5 420 870 48.0 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 230 650 35.2 300 610 49.2 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 510 1,040 48.6 520 920 56.9 
			
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 190 530 35.8 190 480 39.5 
			 (1) Excludes dually registered pupils. (2) Includes general and special hospital schools. (3) As a proportion of those attending maintained primary, state funded secondary and special schools. (4) Includes CTCs and Academies. (5) Teesside consists of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees.  Source: School Census. 
		
	
	The Department does not hold the requested information for the UK. Information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are available from the Welsh Assembly Government, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Department of Education, respectively.

Special Educational Needs: Disadvantaged

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in each local authority area who were eligible for free school meals, had statements of special educational needs and were children in care, attended mainstream schools in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is shown in the table.
	The information provided is from the School Census however this is not the usual source of data for information on children in care. Usually we would use the looked after children database but this does not hold all the details requested here.
	The School Census shows that there were 34,390 pupils aged 5 to 19 attending primary, secondary and special schools and classed as being in care as at January 2008. Data published by the Department in SFR 23/2008: Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008 show 47,600 children aged between 5 and 19 as being looked after as at 31 March 2008. However, the School Census does not cover all looked after children; information is not collected for pupils in alternative provision, including pupil referral units, FE colleges, voluntary provision and those not in education or training.
	These differences in coverage will explain the different counts to an extent, but it is possible that the School Census undercounts the number of looked after children in primary, secondary and special schools.
	
		
			  LA maintained primary schools and state-funded secondary schools( 1,2) : Pupils eligible for free school meals, with statements of special educational needs and in care, as at January 2008, England, by local authority 
			   Number of pupils( 3,4) 
			 England 430 
			   
			  North East 20 
			 Darlington (5) 
			 Durham 10 
			 Gateshead 0 
			 Hartlepool 0 
			 Middlesbrough 10 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne (5) 
			 North Tyneside (5) 
			 Northumberland (5) 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 0 
			 South Tyneside (5) 
			 Stockton-on-Tees (5) 
			 Sunderland (5) 
			   
			  North West 120 
			 Blackburn with Darwen (5) 
			 Blackpool (5) 
			 Bolton 10 
			 Bury (5) 
			 Cheshire 10 
			 Cumbria 10 
			 Halton (5) 
			 Knowsley 0 
			 Lancashire 20 
			 Liverpool 10 
			 Manchester 20 
			 Oldham (5) 
			 Rochdale (5) 
			 Salford (5) 
			 Sefton (5) 
			 St. Helens (5) 
			 Stockport 10 
			 Tameside (5) 
			 Trafford 10 
			 Warrington (5) 
			 Wigan (5) 
			 Wirral 10 
			   
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 50 
			 Barnsley (5) 
			 Bradford 10 
			 Calderdale (5) 
			 Doncaster (5) 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire (5) 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of (5) 
			 Kirklees (5) 
			 Leeds 10 
			 North East Lincolnshire 0 
			 North Lincolnshire (5) 
			 North Yorkshire (5) 
			 Rotherham (5) 
			 Sheffield 10 
			 Wakefield (5) 
			 York (5) 
			   
			  East Midlands 30 
			 Derby (5) 
			 Derbyshire 10 
			 Leicester 10 
			 Leicestershire (5) 
			 Lincolnshire (5) 
			 Northamptonshire 10 
			 Nottingham (5) 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 
			 Rutland 0 
			   
			  West Midlands 50 
			 Birmingham 20 
			 Coventry 0 
			 Dudley 10 
			 Herefordshire 0 
			 Sandwell 0 
			 Shropshire 10 
			 Solihull (5) 
			 Staffordshire (5) 
			 Stoke-on-Trent (5) 
			 Telford and Wrekin (5) 
			 Walsall (5) 
			 Warwickshire (5) 
			 Wolverhampton (5) 
			 Worcestershire (5) 
			   
			  East of England 30 
			 Bedfordshire (5) 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 
			 Essex 10 
			 Hertfordshire (5) 
			 Luton (5) 
			 Norfolk (5) 
			 Peterborough (5) 
			 Southend-on-Sea (5) 
			 Suffolk (5) 
			 Thurrock (5) 
			   
			 London 70 
			  Inner London 30 
			 Camden (5) 
			 City of London 0 
			 Hackney 10 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 10 
			 Haringey 0 
			 Islington (5) 
			 Kensington and Chelsea (5) 
			 Lambeth 10 
			 Lewisham (5) 
			 Newham (5) 
			 Southwark (5) 
			 Tower Hamlets 10 
			 Wandsworth (5) 
			 Westminster (5) 
			   
			  Outer London 30 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 
			 Barnet (5) 
			 Bexley (5) 
			 Brent (5) 
			 Bromley 0 
			 Croydon (5) 
			 Ealing (5) 
			 Enfield (5) 
			 Greenwich 10 
			 Harrow (5) 
			 Havering (5) 
			 Hillingdon (5) 
			 Hounslow (5) 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0 
			 Merton 0 
			 Redbridge (5) 
			 Richmond upon Thames (5) 
			 Sutton (5) 
			 Waltham Forest (5) 
			   
			  South East 40 
			 Bracknell Forest 0 
			 Brighton and Hove (5) 
			 Buckinghamshire (5) 
			 East Sussex (5) 
			 Hampshire (5) 
			 Isle of Wight (5) 
			 Kent 10 
			 Medway (5) 
			 Milton Keynes 0 
			 Oxfordshire (5) 
			 Portsmouth (5) 
			 Reading (5) 
			 Slough (5) 
			 Southampton 0 
			 Surrey 10 
			 West Berkshire 0 
			 West Sussex 0 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead (5) 
			 Wokingham 0 
			   
			  South West 20 
			 Bath and North East Somerset (5) 
			 Bournemouth 0 
			 Bristol, City of (5) 
			 Cornwall 0 
			 Devon (5) 
			 Dorset (5) 
			 Gloucestershire (5) 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 
			 North Somerset 0 
			 Plymouth (5) 
			 Poole (5) 
			 Somerset (5) 
			 South Gloucestershire 0 
			 Swindon (5) 
			 Torbay (5) 
			 Wiltshire (5) 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies.  (3) Pupils aged 5-19.  (4) Includes dually registered pupils.  (5 )Less than 5.   Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.   Source:  School Census.

Special Educational Needs: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary,  (b) secondary and  (c) special school pupils who were eligible for free school meals had an absence rate of 50 per cent. or above in 2007-08.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1, 2, 3)  pupils eligible for free school meals who have an absence rate of 50 per cent. or above, 2007/08, England 
			   Number of pupil enrolments with an absence rate of  50 per cent. or above( 4, 5) 
			   Eligible for free school meals( 6)  Not eligible for free school meals( 6)  Eligibility for free school meals unknown( 6)  Total 
			 Primary schools(1) 1,700 2,870 8,080 12,640 
			 State funded secondary schools(1, 2) 10,370 19,380 10,780 40,530 
			 Special schools(3) 960 1,690 590 3,240 
			 Total 13,030 23,940 19,440 56,410 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2 )Includes CTCs and academies. (3 )Includes both maintained and non-maintained special schools. (4 )Absence rate is the total number of half day sessions missed due to authorised and unauthorised absence expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions. (5 )Number of pupil enrolments in schools from start of the school year up until 23 May 2008. Includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between five and 15, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the school year or are registered in more than one school). (6 )Eligible for free school meals at the time of the January 2008 Census.  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census 
		
	
	The information is a variation of table 3.2 in SFR03/2009, which was revised on 21 April 2009.
	Absence data are collected a term in arrears. Therefore, for each census, schools provide data for pupils who have left the school, in which case free school meal eligibility may not be available. The table includes all enrolments, regardless of duration of enrolment. Some enrolments may be short term.

Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of permanent exclusions were given to pupils in mainstream schools with a statement of special educational need in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 8 May 2009
	The following table shows the information requested for 2006/07.
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1,2) ; number and proportion of permanent exclusions given to pupils with statements of special educational need2006/07 
			  England 
			   Number 
			 Number of permanent exclusions given to pupils in mainstream schools, with statements of SEN(3) 620 
			   
			 Total number of permanent exclusions 8,680 
			   
			 Proportion of total number of permanent exclusions given to pupils in mainstream schools, with statements of SEN 7.12 
			 (1) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (2) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. (3) Includes maintained primary, maintained secondary, city technology colleges and academies.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Sure Start: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in Denton and Reddish constituency have enrolled in Sure Start in each year since 2003.

Beverley Hughes: Tameside local authority currently has 15 Sure Start Children's Centres offering access to services to around 11,756 children under five and their families. Of these, two are situated in Denton and Reddish constituency, with a combined reach of approximately 1,555 children.
	The Department does not hold information centrally on how many children in Denton and Reddish constituency have enrolled in Sure Start in each year since 2003.

HEALTH

Blood: Contamination

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what priority is accorded to pathogen inactivation for blood products by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Advice on measures to reduce the risk of transmission of bacterial and other infections via blood, particularly blood components such as red cells, platelets and plasma, is central to the work of the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.
	Fractionated blood products such as albumin, clotting factors and immunoglobulins are regulated as medicinal products, and are subject to the requirements of the Community code for safety, quality and efficacy of medicinal products as defined in European Directive 2001/83/EC.

Dental Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the Steele Review of NHS dentistry in England; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We expect the findings of the independent review team will be published in the early summer.

Dental Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Steele Review of NHS dentistry in England; and from which budgetary allocation the funds for the review are drawn.

Ann Keen: The costs of the review are being met from the Department's centrally managed programme funds. Final review costs will be available once Professor Steele's review is complete and his report is published. We expect the report to be published in the early summer.

Employment Tribunals Service

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many actions under employment law have been brought against his Department in each of the last three years; how many such actions were brought under each category of action; and how many such actions were contested by his Department at an employment tribunal.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested about actions against the Department under employment law is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Nature of the case  Outcome  Number 
			 2008-09 Equal pay claim Case withdrawn by claimant 2 
			  Disability Discrimination Act Case withdrawn by claimant  
			 
			 2007-08 Unfair dismissal Case withdrawn by claimant 3 
			  Disability Discrimination Act Case withdrawn by claimant  
			  Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation Case contested by Department. Tribunal found in favour of the Department  
			 
			 2006-07 Constructive dismissal Case withdrawn by claimant 2 
			  Unfair dismissal Case withdrawn by claimant

Epilepsy

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the extent to which the NHS is achieving compliance with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on the waiting time for a specialist consultation for those suspected of having epilepsy.

Ann Keen: We have made no estimate of the extent to which the national health service is meeting the waiting time guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Epilepsy

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's guidance note of May 2008, Long Term Neurological ConditionsA Good Practice Guide to the Development of the Multidisciplinary Team and the Value of the Specialist Nurse, on the number of epilepsy specialist nurses in the NHS.

Ann Keen: We have made no assessment.
	It is the responsibility of local health bodies to assess their workforce needs, which may include the provision of epilepsy specialist nurses.

Epilepsy

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people  (a) in total and  (b) under the age of 25 years have been diagnosed with epilepsy in (i) England, (ii) the East Midlands and (iii) Leicester;
	(2)  how many people were diagnosed with epilepsy in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  how many people are estimated to have undiagnosed epilepsy in  (a) England,  (b) the East Midlands and  (c) Leicester.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of people with either diagnosed, or undiagnosed, epilepsy is not collected centrally.

Epilepsy

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many support groups there are in  (a) England,  (b) the East Midlands and  (c) Leicester for those diagnosed with epilepsy and their families.

Ann Keen: We do not collect information on the number of support groups for those diagnosed with epilepsy.

Health Professions: Immigration Controls

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect of recent changes to Tier One immigration rules for highly skilled migrants on numbers of applications to postgraduate medical training posts; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: International medical graduates play an important and valued part in the United Kingdom's national health service. The Department and UK Border Agency are working together to ensure that the needs of the NHS are taken into account when any changes are made to immigration law and are developing transitional measures for international medical graduates who have trained in UK medical schools.

Health Professions: Immigration Controls

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effects of recent changes to Tiers One and Two of the immigration rules on medical workforce planning; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: International medical graduates play an important and valued part in the United Kingdom's national health service. The Department and UK Border Agency work together to ensure that the needs of the NHS are taken into account when any changes are made to the immigration rule.

Hospitals

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department provides to NHS hospital trusts on the rules and conventions that apply to clinical attachments; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department has not produced any specific guidance on the role and use of clinical attachments in the national health service, but would expect all employing organisations to follow the guidance set out by the General Medical Council covering good medical practice in the engagement of these individual doctors.

Lung Cancer

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what percentage of primary care trusts participated in the National Lung Cancer Audit for 2007; and what steps his Department has taken to encourage primary care trusts to participate in the National Lung Cancer Audit for 2008;
	(2)  how many primary care trusts did not submit data to the National Lung Cancer Audit for 2007.

Ann Keen: Primary care trusts do not submit data to the National Lung Cancer Audit (NLCA). Audit data are submitted by 28 cancer networks, covering all the national health service trusts providing services for people with lung cancer. NLCA started in 2005 and coverage has progressively improved. Their 2007 report found that all cancer networks were participating and only six of their constituent NHS trusts did not contribute data.
	The NLCA is part of the national clinical audit and patient outcome programme, which comprises over 20 national audits managed by the health quality improvement partnership with funding from the Department.

Lung Cancer

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many lung cancer patients the NHS had in 2007; and how many of these were aged  (a) under 50,  (b) between 50 and 59,  (c) between 60 and 69  (d) between 70 and 79 and  (e) 80 or more years old.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.

Lung Cancer

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of lung cancer patients who do not have access to a specialist thoracic surgeon.

Ann Keen: We do not routinely collect this information. It is for local service providers to determine the work force required to deliver the service needs.

Lung Cancer

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of lung cancer patients are being treated by a (a) cardio-thoracic and  (b) specialist thoracic surgeon in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(2)  what proportion of lung cancer patients who had a surgical resection were treated by a  (a) cardio-thoracic and  (b) specialist thoracic surgeon in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally. It is for local service providers to determine the work force required to deliver the service needs.

Lyme Disease

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research into lyme disease his Department plans for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11.

Dawn Primarolo: Neither the Department nor the Medical Research Council (MRC) is currently supporting research directly concerned with lyme disease, although the MRC funds a broader portfolio of basic underpinning research relating to bacterial infection and emerging diseases that may lead to further understanding of the condition.

Measles, Mumps and Rubella

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported cases of  (a) mumps,  (b) measles and  (c) rubella there were in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The information supplied by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  All laboratory confirmed cases of measles, mumps and rubella, England and Wales, 1997 to 2008 
			   Measles  Mumps  Rubella 
			 1997 177 182 117 
			 1998 56 121 119 
			 1999 92 373 162 
			 2000 100 730 62 
			 2001 70 784 45 
			 2002 319 500 64 
			 2003 437 1,541 16 
			 2004 188 8,129 14 
			 2005 78 43,378 29 
			 2006 740 4,420 34 
			 2007 990 1,476 35 
			 2008(1) 1,370 2,440 27 
			 (1 )Provisional totals.  Notes:  1. Measles and mumps includes those confirmed by testing serum and by oral fluid  2. Rubella includes serum confirmed from 1997, but since 1998 includes both serum and oral fluid.  3. From February 2005, the HPA recommended that, during the period of increased mumps incidence, oral fluid sample should not be taken from individuals with clinical mumps who are born between 1981 and 1986, and they should be managed as if they were confirmed cases. For the purpose of reporting, all notified cases of mumps in this 15 to 24-year-old age group are being counted as confirmed.

NHS Appointments Service

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure his Department incurred on the NHS Appointments Service in the last 12 months; and how many people were employed by the service at the latest date for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: In 2008-09, the Department provided the Appointments Commission with 4,228,000 (including capital funding), for which the Commission made 825 public appointments, provided an induction programme for appointees, ensured systems were in place to appraise the performance of public appointees, provided training and development opportunities and updated the Commission's information and communication technology.
	During the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009, an average of 52 whole time equivalent staff were employed at the Appointments Commission.

NHS: Innovation

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) terms of reference have and  (b) timetable has been set for the review of innovation in the NHS led by Professor Kennedy.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has commissioned Professor Sir Ian Kennedy to conduct an independent study on valuing innovation, looking specifically at:
	what approach should be adopted by NICE to ensure that innovation is properly taken into account when establishing the value of new health technologies?
	should particular forms of value be considered more important than others?
	how should innovation in health technologies be defined?
	what is the relationship between innovation and value?
	We understand that Professor Kennedy's report will be considered by NICE's Board when it meets on 22 July 2009. Further information on this study is available on NICE's website at:
	www.nice.org.uk/newsroom/latestnewsfromnice/valuinginnovation.jsp

NHS: Manpower

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist thoracic surgeons were employed by the NHS at the latest date for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS: Manpower

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fully-trained  (a) psychiatrists,  (b) psychologists,  (c) psychiatric nurses and  (d) social workers there were in the NHS in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2008.

Ann Keen: The number of psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses employed by the national health service in England in the years requested is given in the following table.
	The number of social workers is not collected centrally by the Department.
	
		
			  Headcount 
			  Staff  1997  2008 
			 Medical staff in the psychiatry specialties(1) 3,962 6,070 
			
			 Clinical psychologists 4,038 7,523 
			 Psychotherapists 489 1,366 
			 Psychiatric nurses 39,109 49,113 
			 Learning disabilities nurses 11,111 7,197 
			 (1 )Excludes doctors in training and equivalents.

Smoking

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect the prohibition on smoking in public places has had on the incidence of littering.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not conducted any specific research into the impact on litter since the implementation of the smokefree law in England in July 2007.

Smoking

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the use of branded generics in nicotine replacement therapy.

Dawn Primarolo: A significant body of research evidence exists around the use of nicotine replacement therapy in supporting smokers to quit.
	The Department has not commissioned specific research on the use of branded generics in nicotine replacement therapy.

Smoking

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure the NHS incurred on nicotine replacement therapy products in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2008, the net ingredient cost of prescriptions for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) dispensed in England was 30,009,015. This figure does not include NRT provided without a prescription by national health service stop smoking services clinics whose figures for this activity are not collected centrally.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost per pupil immunised of BCG vaccination was in the period immediately before the universal vaccination programme was ended; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: A targeted at-risk vaccination programme replaced the school-based routine programme of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination against tuberculosis in 2005. The school-based programme provided the Heaf test prior to BCG vaccination. The aggregate cost per pupil of the Heaf test and BCG vaccine was approximately 2 in 2005. Costs of administration are not included in this figure.

Welfare Food Scheme

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) nurseries and  (b) other day care facilities participate in his Department's Welfare Food Scheme by offering free milk to children of less than five years of age.

Dawn Primarolo: A breakdown of the number of facilities participating in the Nursery Milk scheme in England, Wales and Scotland is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Nursery milk providers June 2009 
			  Country  Provider  Total 
			 England Registered childminder 3,847 
			 England Registered day care provider 16,446 
			 England Exempt establishment 9 
			 England Grant Maintained School 4 
			 England Independent/Non-maintained School 23 
			 England Local authority providing day care 348 
			 England Non EC Grant Maintained School 1 
			 England Non EC LEA School or Nursery 13 
			 England Other 2 
			 England Non EC Independent/Non-maintained School 10 
			 England Exempt school 94 
			 England Unknown 1 
			
			 Scotland Registered childminder 310 
			 Scotland Registered day care provider 1,697 
			 Scotland Exempt establishment 1 
			 Scotland Grant Maintained School 0 
			 Scotland Independent/Non-maintained School 0 
			 Scotland Local authority providing day care 38 
			 Scotland Non EC Grant Maintained School 0 
			 Scotland Non EC LEA School or Nursery 0 
			 Scotland Other 0 
			 Scotland Non EC Independent/Non-maintained School 0 
			 Scotland Exempt school 0 
			 Scotland Unknown 0 
			
			 Wales Registered childminder 164 
			 Wales Registered day care provider 1,042 
			 Wales Exempt establishment 0 
			 Wales Grant Maintained School 0 
			 Wales Independent/Non-maintained School 1 
			 Wales Local authority providing day care 32 
			 Wales Non EC Grant Maintained School 0 
			 Wales Non EC LEA School or Nursery 1 
			 Wales Other 1 
			 Wales Non EC Independent/Non-maintained School 0 
			 Wales Exempt school 4 
			 Wales Unknown 0 
			
			 Total  24,089 
			  Notes: 1.The exempts relate to places like a company providing a crche for its employees, a registered children's home, a community home or a health service hospital. 2. ECrefers to European Community. 
		
	
	The facilities in the following table are not currently participating in the scheme.
	
		
			  Country  Facility  Total 
			 Scotland Grant Maintained School 0 
			 Scotland Independent/Non-maintained School 0 
			 Scotland Non EC Grant Maintained School 0 
			 Scotland Non EC LEA School or Nursery 0 
			 Scotland Other 0 
			 Scotland Non EC Independent/Non-maintained School 0 
			 Scotland Exempt school 0 
			 Scotland Unknown 0 
			
			 Wales Exempt establishment 0 
			 Wales Grant Maintained School 0 
			 Wales Non EC Grant Maintained School 0 
			 Wales Non EC Independent/Non-maintained School 0 
			 Wales Unknown 0 
			  Source: Multi Resource Marketing limited

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many members of staff in his Department were dismissed  (a) for under-performance and  (b) in total in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: In each of the last 10 years less than five members of staff were dismissed from the Department for International Development for under-performance.
	Total dismissals in each year were also less than five, apart from in 2002 when six members of staff were dismissed and in 2006 when again six members of staff were dismissed in total.
	Providing the specific numbers in each of the other years could potentially identify individuals concerned and so breach confidentiality.

Developing Countries: Community Relations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reasons his Department's Community Linking scheme has been delayed; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: A competitive tender process to contract a managing organisation to implement the new Department for International Development (DFID) Community Linking scheme is under way. Once a managing organisation has been contracted and has worked with DFID on early inception plans, DFID will launch the scheme.

Developing Countries: Debts

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department plans to take to assist least developed countries with their debt repayments in the current economic situation.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has re-oriented its programmes to minimise the impact of the crisis on the poorest. We help countries through our country programmes, for example through social protection programmes, and by working through multilateral organisations. We have also ensured that the recent G20 summit agreed important measures to support growth in low-income countries, such as providing $50 billion to support social protection, boost trade and safeguard development. Many countries have benefited from exceptional debt relief under the heavily indebted poor countries initiative (HIPC). Through our country programmes we are providing budget support to certain selected countries which helps them to manage their budgets.

Developing Countries: Debts

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take in response to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Secretary-General's request for a temporary moratorium on debt servicing for developing nations; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The UK Government believe that existing mechanisms provide a thorough basis for dealing with developing countries' debts. The heavily indebted poor countries initiative and the multilateral debt relief initiative provide comprehensive debt relief for the poorest, most heavily indebted countries committed to poverty reduction. 35 countries are currently receiving debt relief; of which 24 have received irrevocable debt cancellation.
	Any country that experiences debt problems can also approach the Paris Club. This informal group of 19 sovereign creditors, which includes the UK, agrees new arrangements with countries facing difficulties through rescheduling and, for the poorest, partial cancellation.

North Korea: Overseas Aid

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is providing  (a) directly and  (b) via non-governmental organisations to alleviate conditions of poverty in North Korea.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not have, and has never had, a bilateral development programme in North Korea. Any DFID assistance is solely focussed on alleviating the suffering of the people of North Korea. We are currently contributing to the EU's programme of humanitarian assistance.

Overseas Aid

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library a copy of the Quick Impact Project Evaluation report published by the Stabilisation Unit in March 2008.

Douglas Alexander: The Quick Impact Project Evaluation is a classified document not suitable for release.

Overseas Aid: Health Services

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what percentage of development aid was spent on projects related to population growth and reproductive and sexual health and rights in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2006-07,  (e) 2007-08 and  (f) 2008-09.

Ivan Lewis: A summary of the Department for International Development's (DFID) bilateral expenditure and an estimate of DFID multilateral expenditure spent directly on funding projects related to population growth and reproductive sexual health is provided in the following table. These figures exclude expenditure on wider health initiatives which will also lead to improved development outcomes in these areas.
	
		
			   DFID bilateral expenditure ( million)  Imputed DFID multilateral share ( million)  Total ( million)  Total as percentage of overall DFID expenditure excluding administration costs 
			 2003-04 114 48 163 4.6 
			 2004-05 154 74 228 6.2 
			 2005-06 180 77 257 6.0 
			 2006-07 184 133 318 6.6 
			 2007-08 190 129 319 6.4 
		
	
	Details of DFID's 2008-09 expenditure are not yet available but will be published in the 2009 annual report in July.

Overseas Aid: Health Services

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what bilateral aid his Department provided for projects concerned with sexual and reproductive health and rights and HIV/AIDS in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2006-07,  (e) 2007-08 and  (f) 2008-09.

Ivan Lewis: Details on the Department for International Development's (DFID) bilateral expenditure on sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS are produced in the following table.
	
		
			  DFID bilateral expenditure on sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS 
			   DFID bilateral expenditure  ( 000 ) 
			 2003-04 217,914 
			 2004-05 261,820 
			 2005-06 354,302 
			 2006-07 387,294 
			 2007-08 411,872 
		
	
	Details of DFID's 2008-09 expenditure are not yet available but will be published in the 2009 annual report in July. The most recently available data can be found in Statistics on International Development 2008, which is available in the Library of the House and online at
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Overseas Aid: Health Services

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what payments his Department made to  (a) United Nations Population Fund,  (b) World Health Organisation,  (c) UNICEF,  (d) UNAIDS,  (e) International Planned Parenthood Federation,  (f) Marie Stopes International,  (g) Interact Worldwide and  (h) Women and Children First UK in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07, (v) 2007-08 and (vi) 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development's (DFID) core, voluntary contributions to the UN organisations were as follows:
	
		
			   million 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 UNFPA 18 20 20 20 20 20 
			 WHO 15.5 12.5 12.5 17.5 5.5 12.5 
			 UNICEF 17 19 19 19 26 16 
			 UNAIDS 3  16 10 19 10 
		
	
	DFID provided the following support via the NGOs:
	Marie Stopes International (MSI) (funding for four projects): 1,913,914 (2006-12)
	International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF): 42,999,990 (2008-13)
	Interact Worldwide (funding for eight projects): 3,861,233 (2004-13)
	Women and Children First UK: 49,893 (2007-09)
	DFID does not have a breakdown by financial year of the support we give to NGO projects. Information on country level contributions to the UN agencies and NGO's could not be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.

Overseas Aid: Health Services

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what expenditure his Department incurred on reproductive health commodities in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2006-07,  (e) 2007-08 and  (f) 2008-09.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not available without incurring disproportionate cost.

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the government of Sri Lanka on  (a) freedom of movement of individuals in the camps for those internally displaced as a result of the recent conflict and  (b) plans to return such people to their home areas.

Michael Foster: I have repeatedly pressed the Government of Sri Lanka to improve conditions in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and to abide by international humanitarian standards, including freedom of movement to leave the camps. We have also continually held the Government of Sri Lanka to its stated obligation to return at least 80 per cent. of the IDPs by the end of this year.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council tax payers were resident in each English county in each of the last five years.

John Healey: This information is not held centrally.

Council Tax: Surrey

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much on average the reduction in council tax liability for Surrey residents will be following the capping of the Surrey police precept for 2009-10.

John Healey: Subject to the approval of an order by the House of Commons, the reduction in Band D council tax in Surrey as a result of capping will be 3.18.

Council Tax: Surrey

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the average cost to council tax payers in Surrey of council tax rebilling for 2009-10 arising from the capping of the Surrey police precept.

John Healey: The Department does not make estimates of rebilling costs arising from capping action. Any rebilling costs are met by capped authorities from within existing budgets.

Housing Corporation: Public Relations

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 24 April 2009,  Official Report, columns 911-2W, on the Homes and Communities Agency, which public affairs consultancies were hired by  (a) the Housing Corporation and  (b) English Partnerships in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08; what the cost to the public purse of such hiring was in each case; and for what purposes public affairs consultancies were hired by the agencies in the period.

Margaret Beckett: English Partnerships made no payments for public affairs work in the years 2005-06, 2006-07 or 2007-08. It is possible that some spend in relation to community consultation and engagement on specific projects may have involved public affairs firms, but it is not possible to separately identify these other than at disproportionate cost.
	The only public affairs firm used by the Housing Corporation was APCO. The Housing Corporation made no payments for public affairs work in the years 2005-06 or 2006-07. In 2007-08 payments totalling 7,801 were made to APCO for the purposes of an article written by the then Chairman of the Housing Corporation, and for consultancy work associated with transition.

Non-domestic Rates

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings her Department has had with business rates software providers to local authorities to discuss the system requirements and costs in relation to implementation of the business rates deferral scheme announced on 31 March 2009; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: Communities and Local Government officials have held informal discussions with business rate software providers, convened by the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation, to discuss implementation of the scheme.
	Software providers have also been provided with the information we have shared with all English billing authorities via two business rates information letters sent out on 31 March and 12 May. These letters are available publicly at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/busratsl.htm

Non-Domestic Rates

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the quarterly receipts from business rates in each local authority were in each year since 2005; what the projected receipts are for  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The information is not currently available.
	However, details of the amount of national non-domestic rates local authorities expect to collect in 2009-10 were published on Thursday 28 May in a Statistical Release that is available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nondomesticrates2009l0f.

Non-domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many port operators have opted for the fast-track review of their business rate assessment offered by her Department; how many such reviews have been completed to date; and how long on average it has taken to complete such reviews to date.

John Healey: Following implementation by the Valuation Office Agency, on 24 November 2008, of fast track arrangements for ratepayers with backdated bills who want to question or challenge their assessment, 261 formal proposals, more commonly referred to as appeals, have been received. All have been handled under the fast track arrangements. As of 27 May 2009, 57 of these have been fully settled. The average duration between receipt and full settlement of an appeal is 45 days.

Non-domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to publish each quarter a report of  (a) the number and percentage of port operators required to pay business rates retrospectively that have made payments,  (b) the number of port operators that have not paid retrospective business rates and  (c) the number of port operators that have ceased trading in the preceding quarter.

John Healey: The information requested is not available centrally.

Right to Buy Scheme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many preserved Right to Buy sales there have been in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Margaret Beckett: Figures for preserved right to buy (PRTB) sales are not available at individual local authority area. The following table shows the total number of PRTB sales by registered social landlords from 2000-01.
	
		
			  Number of preserved right to buy sales, England 
			   Number of sales 
			 2007-08 2,812 
			 2006-07 3,910 
			 2005-06 5,014 
			 2004-05 7,331 
			 2003-04 11,699 
			 2002-03 8,858 
			 2001-02 6,650 
			 2000-01 5,211 
			  Note: Early figures on PRTB sales are not available from RSR returns.  Source:  Regulatory and Statistical Return by Registered Social Landlords.

Social Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 8 May 2009,  Official Report, columns 450-51W, on housing: low incomes, what the net change to the stock of homes for social rent was in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the net change to the dwelling stock of social rented dwellings owned by local authorities and registered social landlords in each year from 1997.
	
		
			   Net change in social rented dwelling stock (Thousand) 
			 1997 -25.9 
			 1998 -36.7 
			 1999 -25.3 
			 2000 -39.1 
			 2001 -48.3 
			 2002 25.9 
			 2003 -67.1 
			 2004 -85.6 
			 2005 -63.4 
			 2006 -43.8 
			 2007 -55.2 
			 2008 -14.6 
			  Source:  Census 2001; Housing Flows Reconciliation and joint returns by local authorities; Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) submitted to Communities and Local Government by local authorities; Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) as reported to the Housing Corporation by registered social landlords.

Social Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes for social rent were  (a) built and  (b) acquired in each year since 1980.

Margaret Beckett: The following table shows the number of homes built and acquired for social rent in each year from 1991-92. Figures for the supply of homes for social rent are not available prior to this time.
	
		
			  England  New Build  Acquisitions  Other  Total for social rent 
			 1991-92 21,770 3,940  25,710 
			 1992-93 39,510 17,510  57,020 
			 1993-94 40,270 8,670  48,940 
			 1994-95 40,720 11,470  52,190 
			 1995-96 44,220 12,730  56,950 
			 1996-97 29,600 12,870  42,470 
			 1997-98 24,020 11,770  35,780 
			 1998-99 22,620 10,960  33,580 
			 1999-2000 19,610 9,180  28,790 
			 2000-01 18,230 8,860  27,090 
			 2001-02 18,640 8,170  26,810 
			 2002-03 17,510 6,450  23,960 
			 2003-04 18,370 4,290  22,660 
			 2004-05 18,790 2,890  21,670 
			 2005-06 20,510 2,460 660 23,630 
			 2006-07 21,500 2,450 790 24,730 
			 2007-08 25,390 3,390 590 29,370 
			  Source:  Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), and local authority returns to CLG. 
		
	
	Figures from 2005-06 onwards for Recycled Capital Grant Fund, Disposal Proceeds Fund, and remodelled units cannot be broken down into new build and acquisitions.

Social Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many registered social landlords requested section 9 consent to dispose in each of the last three years; and how many of those requests were granted.

Margaret Beckett: The total number of section 9 consents granted in each of the last three years was as follows:
	
		
			   Total granted 
			 2006-07 1,463 
			 2007-08 2,223 
			 2008-09 2,025 
		
	
	Information about unsuccessful applications for section 9 consents was not collected in these years. Changes were made to the system for collating consents data in July 2008 and, as a result of these changes, the TSA will retain information on all applications from 2009-10 onwards.